


A Friend

by sangoamaya



Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Marvel, Marvel Avengers Movies RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies) RPF, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, Hiddlesworth, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-15
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 04:40:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 38,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/593549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sangoamaya/pseuds/sangoamaya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris, a widower, lived in Alma, Nebraska with his son Alex. And then Tom stumbled into their lives unexpectedly. Little did Chris and his son know that Tom was no ordinary friend. In fact, he was invisible and only they could see him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Hiddlesworth AU fic! Please be kind :) Inspiration drawn from Cecelia Ahern’s If You Could See Me Now. If there are any updates (or none for the week), I post them on my ff tumblr of the same username.

_What do you do when the world abandons you? You continue holding your head up high. You pick yourself up and dust yourself off. You mind your own business. You shut yourself away because let’s face it, the world thinks you’re a waste of space anyways.  Life isn’t easy when everyone has turned their back to you._

_Does it get lonely? Does it get frustrating?_

_Of course it fucking does._

_But you’ve got to live still. Life isn’t a bed of roses and suicide ain’t going be the answer. Perhaps this time, you just have to find something worth living for._

* * *

  
Chris turned the stove on as he placed a pan on it. He cracked an egg into the pancake batter and patiently stirred the mixture. Grabbing a stick of butter from his left, he tossed it into the heated pan. It sizzled and spattered as he worked the batter. He lifted the whisk to check the consistency of the batter before pouring some into the pan. Wiping off the bead of perspiration trailing down his face, Chris shouted, “Alex! Time to get up! I made pancakes!”

He shouted for his son again and proceeded to bang a long stick that he has always kept in the kitchen against the ceiling. “Wake up!”

It worked. Chris could hear rustling above his head and slight footsteps on the upper floor.

“Brush your teeth before you come down!”

Within 15 minutes Chris made 10 pancakes neatly stacked into a golden tower. He washed up, tied his dirty blonde hair in a bun and realised Alex still wasn’t down. Throwing the washcloth into the sink, he bounded up the stairs. He checked Alex’s room and found it empty. He approached the closed bathroom door knocked on it gently.

“Alex? You in there?”

Silence.

Chris clicked his tongue before trying the door. As he threw the door open, he caught sight of Alex snoozing on the toilet with his pants halfway down his legs.

“Alex? Wake up,” he said, ruffling his son’s hair. Alex whimpered as he rubbed his eyes.

“Come on buddy. Finish up. Come down quick before the pancakes grow cold okay?” Chris said gently before pulling away, leaving the bathroom.

If this was a year ago, Chris would have yelled and made a big deal out of it. He would have banged the door, toss Alex into the tub and turn on the cold water just to punish him for being tardy. But that was a year ago and everything has changed within these 12 months.

It has been a year since Coraline died. 12 months without a woman in a house. Chris had to pick himself up and learn not only to be a mother to Alex but to take care of himself. He was so used to Coraline taking care of him that her sudden departure made him realise how pampered he was – how much they have taken her for granted. He learnt to be much more patient and gentler. He learnt to be more giving and reasonable.

He wanted to leave this old house but something held him back. Was it fear? He wasn’t entirely sure. But one thing that he was sure of was that he didn’t want Alex to grow up in somewhere unfamiliar - in a place where he can’t feel his mom’s presence. He wanted the best for his son even if it kills him and so they stayed.

Alex shuffled into the kitchen with his frayed jeans and light blue cotton shirt. He flicked his eyes to Chris who was busy devouring his own stack of pancakes. He sat down, picked up his utensils and began to eat.

“Dad, I’m going to play outside okay?” Alex wiped his mouth onto the sleeves of his shirt. He pushed back his plate painted with remnants of butter and maple syrup before disappearing through the back door.

“Don’t play too far! You know I can’t see you in that cornfield!” Chris shouted even though he knew that it would fall onto deaf ears.

Like every other morning after breakfast, Chris would go around the house to pick up the dirty clothes. When Coraline was around she made sure everyone dropped theirs into the laundry basket in the bathroom. But ever since the rats had chewed into it, Chris hadn’t found the time to find its replacement after throwing it out.

The washer beeped chirpily as Chris dumped everything in. He poured the detergent in, checked the setting and closed it. The machine whirred and hummed while Chris searched for his work boots. His feet slid into them before he grabbed the rifle placed high on the shelf above the fireplace.

The farm was the only thing left from his family. He inherited it after his parents died a few years before he married Coraline. Chris placed the rifle on his shoulder casually as he swept his gaze across the cornfield. From the corner of his eye he could make out Alex skipping into the cornfield.

Chris wished he was able to leave this forsaken town and farm behind but alas farming was his only skill. It was the only way he knew how to provide for Alex and himself. And of course there’s the house.

Today was no different from yesterday. He checked the irrigation pipes to make sure they weren’t bent or spoiled. It wasn’t harvesting period yet and it won’t be for the next few weeks.

Chris could hear Alex giggling and running around although he was nowhere in sight. He had never been protective but ever since Coraline’s death, his protective instincts heightened.

“Alex! Don’t go too far!” 

“Yes Dad!” Alex replied, his voice distant.

Chris knew he had to let the boy play by himself. No point trying to shield him so much when it will hinder the boy’s development. Heading towards the barn, he started to pick up an axe and some uncut firewood. He was about to head out when he noticed an oil leak in one of the tractors. Chris groaned, dropped the wood and the axe and searched for his tools.

* * *

 

Tom grumbled. He hated being lost. Who wouldn’t? The sense of uneasiness started to creep up his neck causing him to feel jumpy and agitated. The road ahead of him was long and winding. He cursed silently at the scorching sun. His shoes were starting to get uncomfortable and sticky.

As much as he appreciates nature, he could never understand why people live so far away from each other here in Alma, Nebraska. He had been in Nebraska for the past few years now and although he wanted to visit other places, he’s still stuck here. He was needed here.

You see, Tom was no ordinary man with an ordinary occupation. Rather, he was quite extraordinary. His job was to help people. Specifically help lonely beings to feel less lonely and befriend them. Thereafter he has to ensure that the friends he makes make other friends. And that is when his purpose is fulfilled. The cycle goes on and after each cycle, he will wander off till he finds someone who is in need of a friend.

Tom landed in Nebraska 3 years ago when his friend, Dylan moved here to Nebraska from Arkansas. He thought with the change of atmosphere and surroundings, Dylan would need more of him.

But alas he was wrong.

Within a week, Dylan made other friends in school and Tom was forgotten and became invisible again. So he wandered off and found Troy. Troy was only ten years old then and was bullied badly. Tom stayed by Troy’s side for almost a year before the poor boy was sent for psychiatric evaluation because his parents thought he was going ‘mental’ for talking to himself. And then Troy began to forget about him too. He missed Troy terribly.

Tom tried to befriend girls but they were mostly wary and prefer the same gender.

“Tom!” a voice called out. Tom whirled. He grinned, baring his teeth as he waved.

“Alice! You’re here too!” He usually doesn’t meet his fellow colleagues when they are ‘on the field’.

“Yes, yes. Wow, this is so strange, seeing each other outside of the headquarters!” Alice said. She shrugged and patted the back of her neck. The sun wasn’t kind on her as well it seems. She had her favourite light yellow dress on, coupled with a pair of black ballet flats.

“Your case was closed?” Tom asked. It was the only explanation why she was wandering about like he does.

Alice nodded and shifted her weight to another foot. “Yeah. Little Suzy found a new playmate when her mom got her into a new school… Then she stopped seeing me.”

Tom patted her shoulder in response, he felt her pain. Losing a friend was never easy - especially if they have snitched themselves into your hearts. And the worst thing for them was when their friends stopped seeing them. They literally become invisible and it’s time for them to move on.

Alice half-smiled. “I hope we find new friends Tom.”

“I hope we do. No point drifting around this town with no friends. Ruby wouldn’t be happy.”

Ruby was their overall in charge. The ‘big boss’ you might say. Every week during their meetings in Pudemaerd (the headquarters), everyone would have to report on their cases to Ruby and she would determine how much time is left with the case. Most of the time Ruby is accurate but there are cases where she’s not. But most of these cases were children and it only takes about 3-5 months till they’re closed. Adult cases were often gauged by the proximity of their livelihood since most of them were old.

Alice shrugged. “I’ll see you back in Pudemaerd soon?” Tom nodded and waved her goodbye.

Tom had been walking for an hour now. All he could see was acres and acres of corn ahead of him. Despite being in Nebraska for three years, he had never ventured out to a cornfield before. All of his friends mostly played inside and were not allowed to go into the fields. Suddenly feeling curious and excited (but a teeny bit afraid), he started to deviate from the road. He didn’t know what to expect but the probability of him experiencing something new made him uncontrollably excited.

The further he walked, the more confused he became. The cornfield he ventured into didn’t seem to end. Tom stopped, bending down with his hands on his knees. He was covered in perspiration from head to toe and felt sticky all over. Tom was beginning to regret his decision when someone tugged his pants from behind. He immediately turned and found himself looking down at a boy about the age of 7.

“Are you lost?” the boy asked, eyeing Tom curiously.

Tom shrugged and wiped a bead of perspiration from his brow. “Well, where am I?”

“You’re in my father’s cornfield.”

“Of course I am…” Tom muttered to himself. And then he realised. The boy can see him! He has found another case!

“What’s your name?” Tom asked, crouching down.

“Alex. Alex Hemsworth.” He fidgeted with his toy aeroplane in one hand as he continued to watch Tom warily.

“Hi Alex!” Tom greeted him cheerfully. He stretched before sitting down, cross-legged on the floor.

“Judging from the stare that you are now giving me, I believe your parents must have told you not to talk to strangers,” Tom lamented. He hated this part of his job. The first step when making friends is always awkward and scary. And most of the time, the children would hesitate. But they will always relent. They needed him.

 Alex shrugged. Tom pointed to Alex’s toy aeroplane. “I love aeroplanes! What is it called?”

Tom could see Alex letting his guard down. “His name is Arrow!” Alex replied. He sat in front of Tom and began to talk about his favourite toys.

* * *

 

The leaking tractor was fixed 2 hours ago. Chris placed a foot on the pedestal that was used to hack wood. Bracing himself, he proceeded to hack down a piece of firewood. He scrutinised the pile of firewood to his right and decided that it was enough for tonight. His stomach growled as he dropped the axe and began to collect the firewood into his arms. The day was darkening and he realised Alex wasn’t back at the house.

_Where is he? Why is he not back yet?_

Dropping the wood onto the porch, Chris decided to find Alex. Worst thoughts began to fleet through his mind and Chris began to grow uneasy.

“Alex! Come on buddy! It’s sun down! Come back home!” he bellowed. There was no reply but he could hear his son’s giggle. He walked further in and Alex’s giggles became louder.

“Alex!” Chris called, his voice almost pleading. Alex immediately stopped laughing. He turned and grinned. It has been such a long time since his smiled reached up to his eyes. His smile warmed Chris’ heart.

“Dad! Meet my new friend To –” Alex’s brows furrowed when he found that no one was there. “But… but he was just here a moment ago!”

“Who was here a moment ago?” Chris asked defensively, momentarily forgetting Alex’s smile.

“My friend, Tom! He was telling me a joke when you came!”

Chris scanned the field and saw nothing. If there was someone hiding in between the stalks, he would have spotted him. But there was nothing. Immediately feeling violated, he snatched Alex’s toys and hauled his son up.

“I don’t want you to play here anymore. It’s dangerous! And what did I tell you about talking to strangers?!”

Alex frowned and his eyes began to water as Chris prodded him to move along. But at the corner of Alex’s eyes, he could see a pair of blue eyes twinkling at him behind the cornstalks. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris meets an old acquaintance and decided to fix a 'problem'.

It didn't take long for Alex to become best friends with Tom. Despite warnings from his father, Alex still ventured out to the cornfield, bringing a wheel-cart full of his toys with him. They would play till sun down – till Chris comes searching for his son who was always making aeroplane noises, laughing by himself.

Chris didn't thought of anything until today. He supposed Alex talking to himself was just a normal phase of childhood that he needn't worry. But today was different. Today, Chris was genuinely worried.

It began during breakfast. Alex woke up without much hassle and as he shuffled into the kitchen, he dragged an old stool from behind the washer and placed it beside their usual battered dining table that only sat for two.

"Why did you do that for?" Chris asked, holding out a piece of toast towards the stool.

Alex replied, "It's for my friend Tom. It's not nice for him to sit on the floor while we have breakfast."

Chris was stunned. "I'm sorry – who?!" He leaned forward, dropping his toast back into his plate. He scanned the room but saw nothing.

"Tom!" Alex said exasperatedly. "Sheesh Dad, sometimes you just don't listen!" Alex jumped off his seat, opened the drawer and withdrew a plate. He placed it on the table and began to load it with two pieces of toast. Then he clumsily slathered them with jam and butter.

"Eat!" he commanded to thin air, pushing the plate forward. The entire time, Chris gaped. Alex took no notice of it. He did the same to his toast and started to bite into them. Chris couldn't help but stare at the plate and the empty stool.

"Dad," Alex said, washing down his toast with orange juice. "It's rude to stare!"

Chris bit back a retort. He wanted to assure his son that there was no one there and the toast will be breakfast for the flies but he decided against it. He had read somewhere that kids usually have imaginary friends but couldn't remember how to deal with it. He made a mental note to ask around and then shuddered at the thought of that. It wasn't like Chris was socially awkward. Ever since Coraline's death and the cause of it was revealed, everyone had seemed to look at him differently – treated him differently. Like he was some disease.

The clanging of utensils on the other side of the table snapped Chris back to reality.

"We're gonna go upstairs and play Dad! Tom wants to see my aeroplane collection!" Alex chirped, bouncing off his seat and ran up the stairs.

Chris gulped as he stared at the untouched plate of toast – he needs to know more about Alex's behaviour. Period.

* * *

Tom couldn't help but chuckle at Alex's dad. Chris seemed mortified when Alex announced his presence. This happens every single time with every one of his cases. The parents will widen their eyes in horror as they try to see something that is invisible to them and stare at the supposed space, waiting for things to move. And Tom enjoys every minute of it because it's fun to watch their funny faces.

Alex was no different from any of the children that Tom had met. He was in desperate need for attention and loved talking about his toys and playing pretend.

"I'm sorry about my Dad just now," Alex said sheepishly to Tom. "He can be… weird sometimes."

Tom shrugged but was surprised as well. This was the first time someone apologised to him on behalf of their parents. Usually they would complain and resent the fact that the adults couldn't see him. He couldn't help but smile. Alex wasn't an ordinary 7 year old after all.

"Hey. No worries about that. I'm used to it," Tom assured him. He took a small aeroplane which was painted blue and white and started to make noises. He stretched out his arm and made the aeroplane narrowly miss the one in Alex's hands. Alex giggled and dodged. "You'll never crash into me!"

They played for a few more minutes before they heard Chris coming up the stairs.

"Alex? Get dressed. We're going grocery shopping."

* * *

Tom stayed behind and assured Alex that he will be fine. On their way to the town's Walmart where Chris and Alex had always did their shopping, Chris stopped by the playground.

"Go and play there. I need to settle some stuff before we go to Walmart."

"But why?!" Alex cried, immediately regretting his decision to leave Tom behind. The kids in the town hated him. He has no idea why but nobody wants to talk to him at all.

"Alex. Please. Besides you can play with the swing and the slide. It's not often that you get to play with all that," Chris pleaded, trying hard to mask his desperation.

"Well, if you built that swing set on the tree Mom told you to last year, I wouldn't have to do this," Alex countered, folding his arms. Chris took in a cleansing breath and exhaled slowly to calm the rage in his blood. He needed to be patient with him.

"Please. Just this once," he said quietly, his voice laced with menace. Alex blinked at his dad, genuinely scared. He hadn't used that voice for a very long time.

"Yes, dad," Alex obeyed, unbuckling his seatbelt, getting out of the truck hurriedly. Chris sighed and banged his head on the wheel. He hated having to threat Alex. He hated it when his own son doesn't feel safe with him. But what has to be done, has to be done.

Chris clambered out of his truck, locked it and strode towards the town library. He pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by a young gentleman behind the polished counter. He nodded at Chris before giving him a one over.

"Can I help you sir?"

"Uh yeah... Where're the computers?" Chris asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Turn right, walk straight till you see the sign."

Chris thanked the guy and made his way there. He felt out of place, awkward, sticking out like a sore thumb. The library was empty except for a few who chose to read the newspaper here instead of buying one. Chris took a seat in front of a desktop and wiggled the mouse to start it up. He doesn't use much IT and wasn't exactly IT savvy but he could do the basics.

Chris opened an internet browser, opened a search engine and immediately typed 'Imaginary friends'. He got more than a million hits. This is what he truly hates when it comes to 'researching'. It's the sifting through the results that turned him off. He scanned the list, reading the descriptions.

Clicking at the first link, he began to read.

* * *

"Hey Chris!"

Chris turned to the sound of the voice. "Ellie! Hey!"

Ellie was an old acquaintance of Coraline in high school. She was one of the few left who spoke to Chris. Despite that, he knew nothing about her personal life. Chris never believed in probing. Minding his own business and steering away from others was just his way to survive in this town.

"Grocery shopping?" she asked. Ellie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she looked up. She was almost a foot shorter than Chris. The summer heat had passed and a gentle breeze was blowing.

"Yeah..." Chris shrugged, gesturing at the bags he was holding. He usually does shopping for the whole month so he doesn't have to venture out to town often. He almost forgot – "You too?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah... I –"

"Mom!" A carrot topped boy around the same age as Alex raced from behind Chris and halted in front of Ellie. "Hey kiddo! Ready to go?" The boy nodded.

Ellie smiled at Chris. "It's good to see you, Chris."

"Yeah..." They waved goodbye and headed towards their respective vehicles.

Chris didn't think much about Ellie but then he remembered the article he read on the net. Scrambling to the box where Coraline had kept her old contact book, Chris searched for Ellie's number and hurried to the phone.

Chris jabbed the numbers to the phone and listened to the monotonous drone as it dialed.

"Hello?"

"Hey... Erm can I speak to Ellie please?" Chris cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.

"This is Ellie speaking," Chris her shuffle and cover the mouth piece.

"Yeah, erm Ellie, this is Chris. Chris Hemsworth? We met just now?"

There was silence at the other end and Chris grew uneasy as he heard shuffling.

"Hello? Are you there?"

"Yes!" Ellie breathed hurriedly. "Yes, I'm here."

"Good. Uh... I... Well, you remember my son, Alex, right?"

"Yes..." Ellie said, uncertain of where this conversation was going.

"Yeah... Uh... You have a son too." Chris could hear Ellie stifle a giggle and he shrugged. Was he that awkward?

"Yes Chris. I know you have a son," Ellie affirmed. Chris could almost hear her smile at the other line.  
"You know its summer and uh... Alex doesn't have much to do and I'm kinda busy with the farm and all..."

"Oh, you need me to babysit him?"

"Not exactly," Chris said, shoving his free hand into his pocket. "More like a play date? Alex has been quite lonely. It's his first summer without his mom so..."

"Oh… I'm happy to let Alex make friends with Luke."

Chris let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Is it okay if I drop him off tomorrow at 11?"

"Sure. I'll see you two then!"

"Thanks Ellie. I really appreciate this."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

Tom sat on Alex's bed as he watched Alex putting on his socks followed by his shoes.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"My dad said I'm going for a playdate," Alex replied, clumsily running a comb onto his wet hair.

Tom made a face. "I hope this new friend is fun!"

Alex grinned at him through his reflection. "I hope so too!"

"Alex? Are you ready?" Chris stood at the door, leaning against the door frame. He took the comb out of Alex's hands, led him in front of the bed where he sat at the edge and began to comb his hair. Tom watched curiously. Throughout his job, it was rare to see a father taking care of his son like Chris did. Perhaps it was because he was a single dad.

"Dad," Alex said, rubbing his eyes. "What's the name of this... Play-"

"Play date," Chris finished his sentence. "Remember mom's friend, Ellie? It's her son, Luke."

Alex shrugged in response, tugging his shirt. "There. Now you look handsome." Chris smiled.

Tom who was behind Chris the whole time waved at Alex. Alex waved back and caused Chris to frown and look back. At the same time Tom stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry, causing Alex to giggle loudly. Chris clicked his tongue and stood up. He hoped Alex would stop this nonsense soon enough. It was getting tiring to accommodate to his behaviour.

"Come now Alex. We're going to be late," Chris said sternly, prodding his son along the hallway.  
Alex pouted. Chris was about to prod him out of the house when Alex turned.

"Can Tom come with me?" he asked timidly, wringing his hands. Chris felt himself mellowing. He couldn't bear to break the boy's heart. "Oh alright!"

Alex let out a squeal of delight. "Hurry Tom! We're going to be late!" He ran towards the truck, opened the passenger door and jumped in. He waited for several seconds and then closed the door.

"Seatbelt," Chris reminded as he climbed into the vehicle before pulling his own across his body. Tom wiggled in his seat, getting comfortable. He never rode in a truck before. He began to touch the dashboard, the truck's roof and rubbed his feet against the truck's floor. Alex grinned at him whilst watching him.

The trip to Ellie's house only took 20 minutes. The entire time Tom was looking out of the window, getting used to the vibration on his seat and the engine's quiet hum. Alex in the meantime, interrogated Chris about his play date.

"How old is Luke?"

"Should be the same as you."

"Seven?"

"Mmmmm"

"What does he look like?"

"Uh… He's a little taller than you… Red hair…"

"I bet he has freckles too," Alex interrupted.

Chris pursed his lips before responding, "No matter what he looks like, you two can be friends."

Alex wasn't sure what Chris meant by that but whatever it was, he was just excited to make a new friend. Tom is fun to play with. And if this Luke is as fun as Tom, then this summer would be awesome.

When they arrived, Ellie and Luke were already waiting for them on the porch.

"Hey guys!" Ellie greeted them. Chris returned her smile. Alex shyly held out his hand to Luke and they shook hands. Within seconds, both started to warm up to each other and ran into the house, squealing and giggling.

"Thanks for this," said Chris, following Ellie inside to the kitchen.

"It's no problem. Luke was getting bored as well," Ellie replied, searching for mugs. "Coffee?"

Chris nodded to her. "No milk. Just sugar thanks." Chris drew a chair from the dining table and sat. He watched Ellie fix him coffee and was reminded how Coraline always stood by the counter to wait for the coffee machine.

"I was getting worried for him."

"Why?" Ellie asked and almost regretted it. She wasn't sure whether it was appropriate for her to ask. As far as she knows, the Hemsworths had been very private about their personal lives.

Chris shrugged. "Alex kept saying he has a friend named Tom and I can't see him." He was genuinely worried that Ellie would think that Alex had gone bonkers and might need psychiatric help. But seeing the fact that Ellie was a mother to a boy of Alex's age, she might understand. And he was right.

"Oh that," she said, tucking in a loose strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear. "He just has an imaginary friend, Chris. Luke used to have one too."

"Luke too?" Chris accepted a hot steaming mug of coffee from Ellie.

"Oh yes. He's called 'Rooster'. The imaginary friend I meant." Ellie smiled at the memory of having to put out plates of food on the table and eating it after when Luke had gone.

"I did look it up in the internet," Chris mused. He wasn't entirely sure if what he read was true. "Which is why I brought him here. It said the problem usually stems from the fact that he's lonely and without friends."

"You did the right thing," Ellie assured him, drinking her coffee. "But for Luke, it only last a few weeks. Best thing is to just play along."

"Play along?" Chris felt uneasy. He didn't like playing pretend and encouraging Alex to believe in things that are made up. "Just now he asked me if he could bring 'Tom' along and I said yes."

"I bet he'll say 'Tom' is playing with Luke and him now."

Chris sighed and set his mug down. He hated this. If Coraline was around, this wouldn't have happened. Or maybe it would and she'd know what to do – just like Ellie.

"It's been going on for a week now. At first it was creepy but then it started to be a tad ridiculous." Chris rolled his eyes. Ellie shrugged as she eyed Chris. Even though he looked washed up and badly needing a haircut, he looked good – real good. She had to fight the strong urge to touch him. Turning away from him to distract herself, Ellie began to shuffle things into the sink. She heard the chair drag against the floor as Chris stood up.

"I'd better get going. Thanks again for your help Ellie."

Ellie turned hastily towards him and crashed into his hard rock chest. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry."

Chris backed away. "It's alright. You didn't know I was near." Chris gave her his lazy half-smile and began to walk towards the door.

"I'll pick him up at 5."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris realises an obsession of Alex's and Tom decided to do the unexpected.

_"How about a swing by the apple tree in the backyard?" Coraline asked. She looked expectantly at Chris who was about to surrender to a deep slumber. He grumbled as Coraline shook his arm, preventing any sleeping spell to pull him under._

_He sighed. "You know I've been beat. Besides its expensive," said Chris dismissively. Tornadoes and strong winds had wrecked the farm earlier that month. It needed so many repairs and that alone cost thousands of dollars. Any more damage would render Chris bankrupt. He spent most of the time trying to fix whatever he could instead of calling in professional help but it still wasn’t enough._

_Coraline clicked her tongue, annoyed. Trying to persuade Chris is like pushing against a stone wall._

_"You don't have to buy the set per se. Just a big tyre, a strong rope to tie on the tree and you'll have it," she insisted, biting the corner of her lips._

_Chris frowned. "If it's so easy for you to say, go do it yourself."_

_He turned away, showing his back to her. He hated it when Coraline asks these kind of questions just when he was about to doze off. It irritates the hell out of him._

_"Why are you being so difficult Chris?!  Alex is your son - Your only son. And he wants a swing. Is it so difficult to just make him happy?!" Coraline cried, smacking her hands against the duvet._

_"You've been coddling him ever since he was a baby. At times we need to say no and you're not good at that!" Chris spat. He threw the duvet aside, jumping out of the bed._

_“Where are you going?”_

_Chris didn’t reply. Instead he hastily put on his jeans and a clean shirt before walking out of the room, banging the door shut as he went. Coraline heard the truck's engine roaring to life and sunk into the bed resignedly._

_She didn't know why Chris had been moody and snappy these days. She knew the farm was taking a toll on him but he's receiving help. It shouldn't be difficult enough to kick start the business again. Her mind began to knot and twist as she thought about it. Coraline rubbed her throbbing temples and began to cry._

_"Mommy?"_

_Coraline hastily wiped away her tears. The door was pushed opened, allowing the light in the hallway to spill over.  "Yeah?" she said shakily as she felt a small pair of hands wrapping around her._

_"Don't cry anymore," Alex whispered into her ear._

* * *

  
It has been a week and several play dates with Luke but Alex still kept seeing him. Tom scratched his head as this thought ran through his mind over and over again. He went through the backdoor as usual and sat on the stool that has been especially 'reserved' for him. The stool that was previously behind the washer, now sits together with the dining table. It looked out of place, awkward, but Alex had insisted on dragging the stool to the table every morning till Chris gave up.

Tom watched as Chris prepared breakfast. He admired how Chris’s arms flex whenever he reaches out for something and observed his own arm to see if his muscles do the same. But alas it didn't. He was disappointed but watching Chris does his usual routine every morning captured his attention again.

Tom finds Chris interesting. Maybe it was because this is the first time his case has a single dad. Or maybe it was because Chris spent most of his time alone with his thoughts. Tom wondered what Chris thinks about whenever he laid on the lawn chair at the front porch in the evenings with a cold beer in one hand. He wished he could read the man’s mind.

Alex told him that his mother had died in a car accident and everyone in the family has blamed Chris. When Tom probed further, Alex couldn't answer. He genuinely had no idea why. Perhaps this was why Chris appeared to be alone all the time. The only people Tom had witnessed him interact with was Ellie, Luke's mother. The others were just passers-by. No one important. No family except for Alex. Tom found it weird. Or maybe Chris was just a loner.

Today was no different. Alex came down for breakfast, checked whether Chris had put out an extra plate on the table for Tom (which Chris did), ate and Chris would send him off to Ellie's. The problem with these play dates was the fact that Luke couldn't see him. The first few days he played along but after the fourth time, he got tired and complained to Alex that Tom didn't exist. Alex would turn defensive and if Tom doesn’t intervene and assure Alex that it was okay, the two wouldn’t be friends still. This was hindering Alex's friendship with Luke and Tom decided to back off. Just for a while.

So today he decided to stay in the truck with Chris instead of jumping out of it with Alex. He told Alex his plan for later on.

"You sure about this?" Alex asked as he put on his shoes. His innocent face was lined with worry.

Tom nodded. "Yep! Besides it's not fun when Luke starts complaining and doesn't wanna play anymore."

Alex pouted and nodded, seeing Tom's view. "Fine..."

Tom ruffled his hair before fixing it back. "I'll be okay buddy." Tom followed Alex down the stairs and into the truck.

“So you’re just going to send me off and then go with my dad?” Alex implored, trying to figure out what Tom had in mind. It was weird. Chris can’t even see him.

“That’s the plan, sheriff,” Tom winked as they waited for Chris to clamber into the truck.

Alex pouted the entire journey to Ellie's house and didn't even wave goodbye. Tom felt his heart plummet. He knew this was necessary. Also, it seemed that Chris needed his help more. Although how he'd get Chris to see him was something he has to crack.

* * *

  
"What do you think you're doing Tom?" Ruby mused. Her half-moon glasses were perched on her nose, her eyes peering at him. He was dressed in his usual light blue button shirt, coupled with a pair of comfortable dark jeans and sneakers. Tom sat on the swivel chair in Ruby’s office, swaying from side to side. He felt that he was sitting too high and searched for the adjusting bar.

"What's necessary," Tom stated matter-of-factly as he adjusted his chair. He always has to. In Ruby's office, Tom always felt oversized. She was a dainty woman who prefers soft colours as her decor. She rarely wears bright or bold colours, much less solemn ones. Ruby's office was lined with delicate tea sets and china - the ones which you think will crack if you ever pick them up. She reminds him of grandmas and stereotypical southern mothers even though Ruby doesn’t even look like one.

"Trying to make someone see you is hardly necessary Tom. It’s either they do or they don't," she urged. Ruby leaned forward against her table, settling her chin on her clasped hands and eyed Tom carefully. She wasn’t sure what he was up to and it makes her uncomfortable.

"But Ruby, he's lonely. He doesn't seem to have any friends. And I believe I can help him," Tom insisted.

Ruby doesn't have to know how much he liked watching Chris. Every movement made by him seemed calculated but at the same time reckless. He moved like a jaguar, fierce but yet graceful. To be perfectly honest, Tom has never been fascinated by an adult before. They were either boring or busy with their own lives. But Chris was different. And Tom couldn't exactly point out what it was exactly.

"One week Tom. I'm only allowing one week. Any more than that, and I might just do something you hate," Ruby stated firmly. Tom had never been distracted before and this was unusual of him. Nonetheless she trusted his instincts.

Tom gave a little frown before rising up. He didn’t like what Ruby had said to him. It sounded like a threat and he knew it wasn’t like Ruby to be doing so. She had always been hard with other colleagues but never with him. But nevertheless, Tom knew when not to push her buttons.

"Thanks Ruby. You know you can count me!" Tom quipped as he skipped out of her office.

* * *

 

The next few days Tom followed Chris everywhere he went except to the washroom. Now that wouldn't be right. He wanted to help. Not to be creepy. He followed Chris all over the farm as he went on his regular checks, all over the house as Chris did his chores and even sometimes out to the town when Chris had to go for grocery shopping or sometimes to the bank. Still there was no sign of Chris seeing him. Tom started to get anxious as Ruby's deadline loomed over.

Meanwhile Alex had been sulking. He reluctantly gets ready for the play dates, shows little interest in anything that involves Luke.

"I don't like him anymore," Alex ranted, kicking off his shoes. Chris had picked him up from Ellie’s earlier and was now busying himself in the kitchen, cooking dinner. Alex landed himself on his bed, spread-eagled. 

"Why not?" Tom asked with worry plastered all over his face. He rose up from the floor and sat beside Alex. He didn't like what he was hearing. Alex should have stopped seeing him by now.

"I...He's not you..." Alex squeaked, pulling a pillow over his head.

"Of course he's not me. I am not him either, Alex." Tom pulled the pillow away from him.

"I mean... He's not fun. He doesn't like airplanes. He prefers fire trucks and I think they're boring."

"Why are they boring? Fire trucks are cool!" Tom quipped excitedly. He needed Alex to think positively and to not give his friendship up with Luke – because if he does, then Tom would have failed his task.

"Because they can't fly Tom. Anything that doesn't fly isn't 'cool'," countered Alex, air quoting the 'cool'. He huffed again, attempting to pull the pillow back over but Tom held it firmly in his grasp.

"Well what if they are flying fire trucks? I bet those are much cooler!"

"Woah!" Alex shouted, jumping up as he imagined fire trucks zooming around. "That _is_ cool!!"

Tom grinned and winked. “Exactly!”

One problem solved.

* * *

  
"What are you doing dad?" Alex asked as he observed Chris unloading things from the back of the truck.

“You’ll see,” he answered, winking as he went. Alex frowned. It was strange to see Chris being in a good mood. And it was even stranger to see him smile and wink.

Ellie had been telling Chris that Alex wasn’t particularly happy whenever he was over at her place. He seemed distracted and disconnected. Yesterday however, things improved but she could tell that Alex wasn’t genuinely happy. She assured Chris that perhaps he wasn’t comfortable at her place and would rather play at his own backyard.

They talked for a long while on the phone, discussing their sons’ behaviours, their likes and dislikes. The more they talked, the more Chris realised Alex’s obsession for flying. He just loves being in the air and that explains why he loves swings.

So Chris decided to do what he had denied his only son’s request when Coraline was still alive – build him a swing set. Alex watched Chris opened the various boxes one by one before moving to the barn and emerging out with a toolbox. He allowed Alex to hand him the tools as he joined the pieces together.

It took them 2 hours and by the time it was done, Alex was literally bouncing and squealing.

“Oh my god Dad! A swing set! OH GOODIE!” Alex jumped onto the belt and started to push himself off the ground. The swing squeaked and Chris’s heart stopped for a moment. But nothing happened. He let out a sigh of relief as Alex started to swing up and down.

“Come on dad! Get on the other one!” he shouted in mid-air, clinging onto the chains as he kicked himself higher off the ground.

“Naw! You go ahead!” Chris shouted back, grinning from ear to ear. His heart warmed as Alex giggled loudly, loving the rush of the wind in his ears. He shoved his hands into his pockets, proud of his work. Coraline was right; the swing set did look good in the backyard, near the apple tree.

And in that moment, Chris wished Coraline was here to witness it all.

* * *

 

“So you really like swings huh?” Tom chuckled as Alex taught him how to kick himself of the ground.

“YES!” Alex was in mid-air and swung up. He leaned his small body forward, jutting his legs straight up.  “You’ll love this once you get high up in the air!”

Tom laughed again, getting his own rhythm going. This was the first time he has ever been on a swing and it felt amazing. He loved the way the rushing wind blows his hair over, soaring into the sky when he was high up. But the sensation when he was being pulled back due to the momentum was exhilarating.

“I love this!” he yelled and Alex could only giggle loudly.

By the time Chris called Alex back to the house for dinner, they had played on the swings for nearly two hours. Alex could never get sick of it. It was better than playing with aeroplane toys and imagining them zooming around him.

“I told Ellie about the swing and Luke wants to come over to have a go at it,” Chris began as he set down a plate on Alex’s side of the table before putting another on ‘Tom’s side’.  It had been a reflex to Chris, placing dinner utensils on the table for Tom. Granted it was bizarre at first but now it doesn’t even bother him.

“So Luke is coming over now?” Alex grumbled. He hastily stuffed a napkin on the neck of his shirt and picked up his fork to pick on his greens.

“Why? Is there a problem?” Chris remarked, trying hard to mask any signs of annoyance.

Alex shrugged and threw a glance at Tom who was busy eating and ignoring whatever was going on. “If Luke comes over and play at the swing, Tom wouldn’t be able to,” he whispered, his voice almost inaudible.

Chris suppressed his anger. “I’m sure,” Chris said calmly, pointing to Tom’s side of the table with his fork, “Tom doesn’t mind sharing.”

Tom looked up. This was the first time Chris had ever addressed him as if he could see him. At first he thought he had a breakthrough but alas, Chris was just trying to appease his son - nothing more than that.

Tom nodded towards Alex and assured him, “You know, it will be really fun!”

Alex shrugged again. “Oh alright. Tom said it’s okay.”

Chris raised his eyebrows as Alex said his imaginary friend’s approval. Whatever it was, Chris thought, he hoped this whole imaginary friend thing stops soon. 


	4. Chapter 4

Tom grinned. At first he had doubts about being on the swing but he was glad he trusted Alex. He spent most of his time on the swing now. He had decided that Chris was never going to see him anyway and why follow the boring man around to do his boring things when he can just simply spend time swinging?

Chris washed the dirty dishes in the sink. As he wiped the plates, he briefly thought of buying a dishwasher but he couldn’t afford it either way. It was a hot summer’s day and the humidity was killing him. Chris fanned himself before pulling out a rusty electric fan, switching it on. He let out a sigh of satisfaction when the cool wind began to play over his sweaty skin. Chris continued cleaning the kitchen when something at the corner of his eye caught his attention.

From the kitchen window, he could see that one of the swings was swaying as if someone was on it. He then realised that when the swing swayed higher, there was squeaking. He frowned and felt the hair at the back of his neck prickle.

There was no wind.

No signs of any breeze.

Chris squinted hard at the swing set. Perhaps there was something about the screws or some other logical explanation was causing the swaying. He threw the dish rag onto the countertop and exited the kitchen.

Tom continued swinging and when he realised Chris was approaching him, he immediately stopped and stood stock still. He felt Chris’s scrutiny boring a hole in him as Chris frowned at the bolts on the swing, licking the tip of his finger and holding it out to test whether there’s any breeze.

It was then Tom realised – Chris was able to see that he was swinging. He could see! Well, he only saw the swing swaying but that was an achievement! Most of the time he can’t!

Tom suppressed his excitement, afraid of Chris hearing him giggle. Then he frowned at himself for being silly.

“Hello!” he said carefully, trying to make eye contact with Chris.

No response. Chris only looked around like he wasn’t there.

Tom waved in front of Chris’s face and shouted this time round, “HELLOOOOO!!”

Still no response.

Desperate, Tom shook the swing. Upon seeing that the swing shook and the chains rattling, Chris jumped back, gasping. His eyes were wide with shock, hands held out as if to defend himself from anything that may jump out and attack him.  His eyes went wild, searching for the thing that was moving the swing.

Tom burst out laughing as Chris jumped. Seeing a grown man scared of out of his wits was just hilarious. He caught himself after a few moments and cleared his throat. Tom looked on as Chris roamed around the swing set to scrutinise the screws and bolts again.

Sighing as he couldn’t find anything wrong, Chris rolled his eyes and stared at the swing set one last time before leaving it alone. Unknown to him, Tom was still sitting at the same swing belt, disappointed.

For the next few days Chris couldn’t help but stare at the swing set whenever he does the dishes. Even though he didn’t want it to move, deep down a part of him wanted it to sway just so that he could somehow solve its mystery. He wasn’t scared of ghosts or anything of that sort. He believes in logic and common sense. But they certainly did not help him solve the mysterious swinging swing.

He made arrangements with Ellie for Luke to come over for a play date that day.

"I told Luke about the swing and he can barely contain himself!" Ellie said to Chris. His ponytail was unkempt, shirt stain from the cocoa powder from this morning's chocolate waffles batter but he still looked good.

 _Well, even if he's wearing a potato sack, he'll still look good_ , Ellie thought. Chris only managed a half smile as he let them in. He was annoyed with Alex the entire morning. He barely ate and kept complaining that Luke might act unfair to Tom when it's his turn to play on the swing. When he finally snapped, Alex teared and ran to his room as a result.

"Alex! Luke is here! Come down!" There was a long pause and Chris could only give Ellie a reluctant smile as he shouted again.

"I'm coming down!" Alex announced, his footsteps thumping down the stairs. He gave Ellie a sheepish smile before hugging her middle. “Hey kiddo!”

When they pulled apart, Alex gave a Luke a reluctant high five before both of them run to the backyard.

"Wow, this place is exactly how I remember it," Ellie mused as she took in her surroundings as Chris led her into the kitchen.

"How long has it been since you were here?" Chris asked. He wasn't sure if Ellie came by much when Coraline was still around. He took two mugs from the drawer as he offered Ellie a seat.

Ellie shrugged as she sat, "Ooohh I think even before Luke is around." Chris checked the coffee machine before pouring some into the mugs.

"That's long," Chris replied, offering Ellie a mug. She nodded before sipping her drink. "It wasn't easy with Luke around. With his father gone, I just... He still comes by but…"

"I understand. It's hard."

There was something in his voice that made her uneasy. Ellie expected Chris to ask her what happened to Luke's father but he didn't probe. She wasn't sure if he was interested. They fell into an awkward silence, drinking their coffee. Ellie wondered why Chris was a man of little words now. She knew that although he wasn’t one who tattles about his personal life, he could be quite a charmer. But perhaps Coraline's passing changed him.

"So does Alex still have his imaginary friend?" Ellie asked, breaking the silence. She carefully sat down her mug on the table, nervously flicking her gaze to the lonely stool to her right. The stool didn’t belong and felt out of place.

Chris sighed resignedly, noticing her gaze on the stool. "Yes. As a matter of fact, earlier this morning, he was so afraid that Luke wouldn't let his 'friend' to play on the swing."

"Oh." Ellie looked out and saw the boys on the swing belts, giggling and kicking themselves off the ground. "They seem fine," Ellie commented. 

“Yeah, for now.”

“I wouldn’t be able to send Luke over for the next couple of days. My supervisor just changed everyone’s schedule and now I have to work the morning shift. Is it alright it if you pick him up instead?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Chris had half a mind to ask Ellie what she worked as but thought she would think him nosy.

“That’s settled then!”

* * *

 

Armed with the knowledge that Chris could see the things he moved, Tom decided to tap on it.

At first, he decided to mess around. Chris still stares at the swing set whenever he does the dishes. And when he does, he usually doesn’t turn off the tap when it was not needed. So Tom did it for him.

The sudden thump of the tap snapped Chris back to reality. Frowning, he flicked the tap back up, turning it on. Chris finished rinsing one dish, placing it to the drying rack and gazed back at the swing. Just as he was soaping another dish (with his eyes glued onto the swing), the tap turned off by itself again. Chris gripped the dish hard as he took a small step back, squinting down at the tap. He slowly turned it back on and stepped away to observe it for a while before rinsing the soaped plate. By this time, Tom was giggling. _This is so much fun!_

He continued to play tricks on Chris; Moving his dish rag when he wasn’t looking, rearranging the toiletries in the washroom, making the swing sway when Chris was about to peel his eyes off it. He even bounced on the couch to startle Chris whenever he stares into space during the evenings after dinner.

But still no sign of Chris seeing him.

“Your eyes are just playing tricks on you, Chris,” Chris muttered to himself as he moved the dish rag back to its original position. He shook his head and strode to the fridge, opening it and extracting a cold can of beer.

He took a swig, gulping the cold, velvety liquid. _There’s no such thing as ghosts._

* * *

 

"Tom, it's been a week. You should just give up," Ruby said sternly, peering at him over her glasses.

"He sees my movements Ruby! You should hav-"

"Do you want him to think that you're some supernatural being that messes his home?!" she interjected, silencing him.

"No," Tom mouthed, avoiding Ruby's piercing gaze. But if he gives up now, then Chris can't be helped.

"One more week Ruby. Plus his son can still see me..." Tom pleaded.

"He still does?" Ruby said in disbelief. Tom nodded.

"Fine. One more week. And that's final Tom. We have other people who need you more than him."

* * *

 

Tom wrung his hands as he sat at the conference table in Pudemaerd. Today was the monthly update meeting. Every month, everyone would gather together and give Ruby the updates on their cases and how far long they need. He adjusted his seat, swaying from left to right. He couldn’t think straight and was almost afraid of reporting today. The tense conversation he had with Ruby was four days ago and he had a feeling she would grill him again later.

He was early as always and greeted his fellow colleagues as they filled the seats one by one. The thing about the business of imaginary friends is that, not everyone looks like adults. They all come in different shapes and sizes. Literally. Alice, for example, who looks like Alex’s age. Then there is Beca, who reminds Tom of middle-aged Southern mothers.

They began and Tom silently counted how many people have to go first before himself. _Three_ , he mentally noted.

Alice smoothed down her pink tea-party dress and sat up straight. “I made a new friend a week ago. Her name is Yuki.”

“That’s a lovely name!” Ruby claimed as she leaned forward.

Alice gave her sweet, innocent smile and continued, “Yes, yes. She just moved from another town. But there’s one problem though… Yuki thinks I’m a ghost.”

“Oh no!” Everyone groaned. Tom cringed. It reminded him of his discussion with Ruby. It’s hard enough being invisible to most people except for their cases but to have those who can see you think that you’re a ghost? Absolute horror.

“Why do you think Yuki believes that Alice?” Ruby asked softly while scribbling onto her notepad.

“Well, I think it must be my dresses. She did mention that it looked Victorian…”

“Ah. Well, I think you can make an appointment with the wardrobe department and change your attire.”

Alice let out a sigh and grinned, “Thank you Ruby.”

Ruby smiled back in response and clasped her hands together, “So Beca, how about you?”

Beca is a specialist in the elderly. In fact everyone specialises in a category and a number of them specialise in children – Tom included. She tucked her wispy blonde hair behind her ear before answering, “Well, it’s not long now. Wendy is on life support as we speak.”

The table gasped and those nearest to Beca patted her shoulders and comforted her as she teared.

“I’m so sorry Beca…” Ruby consoled her. “We all hope Wendy will go peacefully.”

Beca sniffled, wiping away a tear with her lacy handkerchief. Tom’s heart dropped. He had never witnessed a death of a friend before and to think that Beca had seen so many broke his heart.  Ruby nodded at the teenage boy sitting to Beca’s right. Adam had been flipping the pen in between his fingers the entire time and stopped as he spoke.

“Yeah, erm, Zack is progressing. He finally got into this activity club in school. And… uh…He couldn’t see me today during lunch…” The whole table gasped. Everyone in the room understood this stage of their job – the stage where their friends couldn’t see them anymore. It hurts the most really. To actually realise that the one person you cared about, shared their insecurities and dreams for several weeks will never see you again likens to a poisoned stab in the heart. Adam shrugged. Even though he tried to mask it, his eyes said otherwise.

“So… yeah… I’ll give it a couple more days,” he concluded, looking down onto his lap and resumed flipping the pen in between his fingers.

Tom gulped. It’s his turn now.

“How is Alex, Tom?” Ruby implored, resting her face on her right palm.

“He’s progressing,” Tom answered. “He has a new friend now. But the trouble is he’s still seeing me.”

“How long has this case been?” Ruby asked again. Tom frowned. She knew how long it had been, is this her way of emphasising that he wasn’t doing his job properly?

“A month and a half,” Tom replied carefully. He knew Ruby was up to something. Strange since she was probably the kindest soul he had ever met.

“The reason why I’m asking Tom this question is because his case is unique,” Ruby lamented, as if she had read Tom’s mind. “Tell us more Tom.”

Tom gulped. _This will get interesting._ “Well, uh… Alex’s father, Chris, can sense my presence.”

The chitter-chatter around the room dissipated. “You mean he can see you?” Adam asked, his face eager and excited.

Tom shook his head, “No… not exactly. He can see me moving his things more like.”

“I’ve never heard of that, in all of my years,” Beca commented.

“Which is why, Tom’s case is unique,” Ruby agreed.

And then the questions began to shoot out like a machine gun gone wild.

“What did he see you move Tom?”

“Yeah, when did he first see you move things?”

“Did you play tricks on him?”

“Does he look scared when you’re moving things?”

“What does his son think about that?”

All these questions were making Tom’s head spin. “That’s enough questions!” Tom bellowed, silencing all of them. They stared at Tom’s outstretched hands and then to his exasperated face.

“I’m sorry everyone,” Tom said resignedly, adjusting himself on his seat. He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. “Well, the first time he sensed my presence, I was on the swing, bored of watching him all day.”

“Why were you watching him?” Beca asked, curious.

“Because his son has a new friend and barely needs me, whereas his father is all alone, no friends, barely talks to any other. I thought he needed a friend more than his son.”

“That seems fair,” Adam said, still flipping his pen. “Besides, there must be a reason why the dad can sense his presence anyways.”

“Yes,” Ruby replied hurriedly, “But the point is, he can’t see Tom. And that’s because he doesn’t need T –”

“I think he does,” Alice interrupted. “I mean, it’s not that he doesn’t need Tom… Maybe it’s because he chooses to believe that he doesn’t need anybody.”

* * *

 

“Promise me you’ll be good okay?”

Alex nodded and gave Chris a reluctant smile before he hopped out of the truck. Chris had arranged for Alex to stay over at Ellie’s. He needed some time alone today. Tom wanted to accompany Alex tonight but something was nagging at him. He thought of Alice’s words and cursed himself. As much as he wanted to have fun, it seems that Chris does need him. Also he’s curious as to why he even sent Alex away.

The orange evening sky grew steadily darker. Tom grew uneasy as Chris kept on driving to the edge of the town. He wasn’t sure what to make of this. Chris somehow had a bottle of liquor stored in the truck and started to take swigs while driving. Tom wanted to grab the bottle from him but decided against it. He wasn’t sure if it was the right move.

They soon came to a stop and Chris parked. It was dead quiet in the night and with the exception of the street lights, everything was pitch-black. The only sounds were crickets, their footsteps and the swishing of the liquor Chris brought along. Chris stumbled down a narrow lane and soon something caught Tom’s eye – tomb stones. His heart started to hump as he dragged his eyes across the land in front of him. Tom shivered as he scanned the cemetery. He had never been to one before and it makes him uncomfortable. He had no idea why Chris wants to be here but Tom figured that Chris wanted to pay respect to a loved one. They walked further into the cemetery until Chris turned to his left and walked towards a modest white tomb stone.

“You know, it’s been a year since you’re gone,” Chris’s voice cracked as he pointed his bottle at the tomb stone in front of him.

_Here lies,_

_Coraline Jane Carter-Hemsworth_

_Beloved daughter, sister and mother_

_Born: 16 February 1982_

_Died: 27 July 2011_

He took another swig from the bottle and wiped his mouth. “I don’t even know why you ran Cora. I don’t know why you decide to abandon us that night. Why did you? WHY DID YOU?!” Chris swung his bottle down, smashing it to pieces against the tomb stone. The sound shocked Tom, who jumped back a few feet. Chris started trembling and he fell to his knees.

“Now you’re gone! GONE!” Chris crooned drunkenly and laughed bitterly, “Gone with the wind.” He flattened his palm on the cool tomb stone, tracing the engravings on it. “I loved you, you know,” he whispered to the tomb stone, before collapsing against it.

* * *

 

Chris groaned as he felt someone pulling him up. Startled, Chris struggled. “Hey! Hey! Don’t touch me!” he shouted to the stranger. He didn’t realise he had been knocked out cold for two hours now. Chris hastily tugged his arm away from the stranger’s grasp.

“So you want me to leave you in this cemetery?!” The stranger half-shouted as Chris fell to the ground again.

“Leave me!” Chris screamed, “Since that’s what everybody does in the end! Leaving me!”

Tom softened at his words. “I won’t leave you.”

“What?!” Chris said groggily, rubbing his eyes. He couldn’t make out the face of this stranger. His head was spinning too much.

“I said I won’t leave you,” Tom repeated, firmly this time.

Chris couldn’t shake this headache away and instead leaned against Tom.

“Then bloody don’t.”


	5. Chapter 5

_"Dad? Isn't today Mom's death anniversary?"_

_Chris stopped folding the laundry. They had just finished breakfast and Alex was sent upstairs to change so that they could go grocery shopping. He had forgotten about today – had no recollection of it._

_He slowly turned to face his son. "Yeah," it was all he could manage._

_Alex stared at him blankly, expecting Chris to say something more. But he didn't. Instead Chris abandoned the clothing in his hand and pulled Alex into his arms._

_Shutting his eyes, he breathed in Alex's fruity scent. He wanted to remember this forever – the innocent little boy who loves aeroplanes. His only son._

_"You know I love you right?" he whispered into Alex's ear._

_"I know." Alex's voice was soft and distant. He felt uncomfortable as Chris nestled his face against the crook of his neck. Gradually, Alex eased into the embrace, leaning his head against Chris._

_"You know you're the only I've got in this entire world right?"_

_Alex wanted to remind him that he still has Uncle Liam but he decided against it. They haven't heard from him for a couple of years and Alex knows that Uncle Liam was nothing but trouble. Alex shrugged._

_"You're the only I've got too,” he whispered._

_Chris pulled away and Alex saw a single tear falling across his cheek. He held out a finger to wipe it and gave Chris a chaste kiss on his cheek._

_"Don't cry anymore."_

_"I won't buddy."_

* * *

 

Rule number 1 of being an imaginary friend: Never get your friend into any kind of trouble. So when Tom had fished the keys out of Chris's pockets and start the engine, he prayed that no one would see a truck moving with no driver. That would definitely get Chris in trouble and he would be too with Ruby and the management of Pudemaerd.

When Chris passed out against the tomb stone, Tom was stumped. He had never experienced someone passing out in front of him, much less an adult. So when he had regained his senses to try and move Chris, he never expected him to rouse and see him at all.

Rule number 10 of being an imaginary friend: Try as you might, not to operate any machinery unless in an emergency. Tom knew he couldn't leave Chris in his truck parked at a cemetery overnight.

First, he's drunk and knocked out cold. Second, even if he wakes up tomorrow and could drive himself out, Tom was sure that Chris will suffer from an excruciating hangover. But there was a problem. Tom had never driven a truck before – a car yes but never a bigger vehicle. Nevertheless, he decided to take the risk. The cemetery gave him the creeps and one might never know what will bother them if they stayed any longer.

The entire journey involved him ensuring that there was no other car or people out on the road to witness this. Thanks to the obscure nature of this town and the hour, no one was in sight. Tom heaved a sigh of relief when he finally parked in front of the house. Chris was still passed out. He gingerly put out a finger near Chris's nostrils to make sure he was breathing before pulling him out of the truck.

Once Tom had put Chris to bed, he made his way down to the backyard and sat at the swings.

Now that he was able to clear his head and think about what happened a few hours ago, his thoughts started to become scrambled. He wasn't sure if adult friends are any different from children. What would an adult expect? What would an adult want out of a friendship? And most importantly, what does Chris need from him?

Tom needs to know the answers. And he needs to know them fast.

* * *

  
As soon as he turned to his right, his vision turned red. Chris growled, immediately regretting it.  His head was pounding mercilessly as he cracked one eye open. He had a feeling that he would end up on the streets or somewhere unknown since he was stinking drunk last night, but he’s not. Chris shuffled his feet against the bed sheet and it felt familiar. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and slowly cracking his eyes open. He’s home. In his own bed. He tried to remember how he ended up back home but his headache was preventing him from doing so.

Chris shook his head to get rid of the pounding but it only made everything worse. He groaned as he slowly made his way downstairs.

"Oh good. You're up." A tall man clad in t-shirt and dark jeans greeted Chris as he entered the kitchen. He stood up from the stool before pulling Chris's usual seat out.

Chris staggered back. _Who the hell is this?!_ He was about to open his mouth to protest but the man held out a hand and started to babble, “You were passed out and Ellie was going to work. She started her morning shifts today at the factory and there's no one to pick up the kids so she drove them here and I fixed breakfast with Alex's help and now they're playing."

 _Oh. Luke's dad._ Chris managed a half-smile that looked very much like a grimace as he sat down.

"Thanks," he croaked, still eyeing the man in front of him.

"Coffee?"

Chris nodded as he pressed his forehead onto the dining table.

"Here. Take a sip. You'll feel better." Tom placed a piping hot mug down in front of Chris. Chris thanked him as he dragged the mug towards his face, gulping down the bitter liquid.

"I'm sorry for troubling you. I forgot that today Ellie needed me to mind the kids," Chris apologised. He eyed the man in front of him. He looked about the same age as him. Chris wondered why Ellie didn't mention much about her ex-husband not that it was any of his business.

"I didn't catch your name," Chris said ruefully, giving Tom a sheepish look.

"It's Tom." Chris choked on his coffee, coughing loudly, trying to get the coffee out of his lungs.

"Are you alright?!" Tom hurried over to pat his back. He hurried away to get a glass of water and handed it to Chris. Grabbing the glass gratefully, he glugged down the water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yeah better..."

"It's just your name..."

"What's with my name?" Tom asked, suddenly alarmed. 

"It's the same as -" Chris stopped mid-sentence. _Same as my son's imaginary friend? What Chris? You want this man to think your son is going bonkers?_ Chris shook his head, waving it off.

"Same as what?" Tom persisted. His blue eyes were big with curiosity.

"My son, Alex. He had an imaginary friend whose name is also Tom," Chris explained reluctantly. Tom raised his eyebrows, as if surprised. "Yeah, yeah. I think it's all a phase. He'll get over it soon."

Tom didn't answer; instead he was enjoying his own cup of coffee, observing a bleary Chris trying to clear his mind with the caffeine.

"Thanks for bringing the kids. I'm sure you have other business to attend to, so I can take over from here."

Tom put down his now empty mug and looked at Chris questioningly.

"What?" Chris said, defensively. 

"Not with your condition. You need more rest," Tom said simply. He retrieved Chris's mug and began to wash it together with his.

"I can handle it," Chris insisted. He was about to stand up when the sunlight from the window blinded him, sending his head spinning. He yelped and immediately sat back down. Tom stifled a chuckle.

"I can mind the kids. I have always loved spending time with them anyways."

Chris slept through the whole day and only got up an hour before Ellie was supposed to pick up Luke. From his bedroom window Chris could see the boys running around with toy aeroplanes in each hand, pretending to have an air battle. What caught Chris's attention was Tom running around chasing the boys all over the backyard. For some reason he felt a small twinge of jealousy creeping up. Tom seemed to be more natural and easy going around kids compared to him.

However, when Ellie came by to pick Luke up, Tom was nowhere in sight. Chris wanted to tell her that Tom has been helping him to mind the kids but bit his tongue. He didn't want Ellie to think him irresponsible and depended on her ex while he nursed an excruciating hangover. Plus he wasn’t sure if Ellie approves of him mingling with her ex. He didn’t want Alex to lose his new friend.

* * *

 

Later that night when Alex was already in bed, Chris took two cold beers from the fridge and headed out onto the porch. He dusted the lawn chair with his calloused hands before sitting down. The lawn chair creaked under his weight as he propped his leg up to the balustrade. The night was quiet and peaceful except for the crickets.

Chris stared ahead towards the cornfield as he popped a bottle open. He gulped a mouthful and shifted in the chair to get comfortable.

"You're missing out on the stars."

Chris turned to the voice. Tom was leaning against a pillar on the porch, his head titled high. He gazed at the scattered stars twinkling against the sky's dark canvas. To his right, Tom could make out the Cassiopeia and Perseus constellations.

"Where were you just now?" Chris asked. His voice sounded accusatory even though he didn't mean it. He watched Tom warily. His pounding head earlier this morning didn't warrant him a good look. Tom was wearing a light blue shirt coupled with snug faded jeans and sneakers. For someone his age, he seemed to be dressing too much like a teenager.

"Out and about,” Tom answered, still busy looking at the night sky. He turned slightly towards Chris, watching him gulping another mouthful of beer.

Chris decided to not pursue the matter. The guy was probably just avoiding his ex. He held out a beer to Tom but he declined.

"I don't like the taste of beer," Tom explained. Chris shrugged as if to say that it's his loss.

"Thanks for today. I really appreciate it," Chris began.

"I know. You needed some time alone."

“How did you know?”

“Alex told me.”

Chris frowned. It didn’t cross his mind that Alex would ever talk about something so personal to a stranger. He had the sudden urge to lash out at Tom, telling him to mind his own business but instead, he combed his hair back with his fingers, "It's just hard you know. We survived one whole year without Coraline. One whole year. But not a day goes without me thinking about her."

"When people have seared onto your heart, it's almost impossible to discard memories of them," Tom mused. He turned to look at Chris who was nursing a second beer.

"Was she beautiful?"

A small wistful smile hooked onto Chris's lips as he nodded. There was a long pause before Chris spoke again. "Alex looks just like her. He even has her smile. Whenever he does, my heart swells and breaks at the same time," said Chris, his voice grew distant and soft at the end.

Chris didn't know what made him open up to Tom. He didn't know if Tom had any idea what he was babbling about and here he was, talking about his dead wife to a complete stranger. Tom could only offer him a sympathetic smile. "It must be hard to care for a child without someone else."

Chris nodded. "It is. I used to think it will never happen to me - that when I have children, Coraline would forever be by my side to take care all of the kid stuff," he confided.

Chris took another swig from his beer before continuing, "It hasn't been easy on Alex too. He started being quiet, nervous and kept to himself. It didn't help when Coraline's family started accusing me for causing her death."

Chris immediately caught himself. He had never told anyone about Coraline's family. True, they started the horrible rumour where Chris was the one who intoxicated Coraline and deliberately let her drive in a drunken state. But no one had ever confronted him for it. The police dismissed their claim since they had no proof but the town people looked at him differently from that day on. Chris pursed his lips as he stared at the beer bottle in his hand. He nervously flicked his eyes towards Tom who was now sitting down on the porch, watching him.

"I never told anyone that," Chris confessed softly. He avoided Tom's gaze, feeling uncomfortable.

“You can tell me anything Chris," Tom assured him.

"Well at first I thought he was getting better during the summer but then when he started to have an imaginary friend, I was sure things are not. I thought having play dates was going to help him but I was wrong. He keeps insisting that this friend is real. I even put out toast for him for god’s sake!"

Tom shifted on his spot. He wasn't sure if Chris knew that he was talking to an imaginary friend right now - specifically his son's.

"What's wrong with having an imaginary friend?" Tom asked, hurt at Chris's rant.

"You don't expect me to be alright with people thinking that my son has a screw loose do you? He talks to thin air and laugh by himself. People look at him differently." Chris stared at Tom, befuddled by his question.

Tom sighed. He knew that this was one of the most pressing issues when imaginary friends are working. They're always reminded to avoid crowds and only interact with their cases when people are not around. This way, their friends would not be accused of ‘losing their marbles’ by the public.

“I understand your concern,” Tom acknowledged carefully. He didn’t want to trigger anything unpleasant. “But don’t you think the reason why he has one is because he is in need of one?”

“In need of one?!”

“I mean,” Tom said hurriedly, “In need of a friend.” _Phew._

“Well I did get him one,” Chris countered, referring to Luke. Tom nodded.

“And that was a good thing,” he assured Chris. “Alex’s a good kid.”

“I know.”

* * *

 

For the next few days whenever Chris brought Luke back to his house, he would find Tom sitting at the porch with Alex, waiting for them. At first he was apprehensive but it seemed that Tom was just sincere in helping out with the kids. Chris thought it’s probably because he doesn’t see much of Luke and when the kids are at Ellie’s, he couldn’t bond with his own son.

“So where are you from Tom?” Chris asked casually. They were sitting at the backyard, on the grass nursing some cold lemonade, watching the boys.

“Pudemaerd.”

“Pute- what?!”

“Pudemaerd.”

Chris raised his eyebrows. He has never heard of wherever Tom claimed he was from. “Is that in Canada?”

Tom chuckled, throwing his head back as he does. “No!”

“Then where is it?!” Chris persisted. 

Tom turned and laughed again. “Where it’s supposed to be.”

Chris shrugged as he downed his glass of lemonade. Conversations with Tom always end with him saying something wise or open. He doesn’t seem to talk about himself much and usually leaves the talking to Chris while he listens. It leaves him frustrated but at the same time, intrigued.

“How about you?”

“Been here since I was born,” Chris drawled, “Never went anywhere out of the state, much less the country.”

“That’s sad,” Tom concluded. “You should really travel more. The world out there is amazing.”

“Yeah, if you give me a million bucks, maybe I would,” Chris joked, tilting the glass as he finished his drink. Even though he sounded upbeat, a tiny part of him ached. He did want to travel – even if it was somewhere in the States, far away from here.

“How about we do something fun tomorrow with the kids?” Tom suggested with a big grin plastered on his face, making his blue eyes twinkle.

Chris cocked an eyebrow up suspiciously. “Like what?”

“We could go to a water park!”

“You’re crazy.”

“Why not?! You’re no fun!” Tom pointed out. He needed Chris to loosen up and be more spontaneous. Spending a few days with him, moping around was not going to do it. Chris needed excitement. He needed to feel alive. Tom cupped his hands around his lips and shouted to the boys, “Hey kids! You want to go to a water park tomorrow?!”

Alex yelled back, “We are going to a water park?!”

Luke joined in, “Oh MY GOD! WE ARE?! YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?!”

“WHAT?!”

“Water gun fights!!!”

Alex squealed in delight, jumping up and down together with Luke. “Dad! Can we go, dad?! Please!!! Can we?!”

Chris took a deep breath before nodding to two screaming boys and a chuckling Tom. Chris shot a murderous look at him and muttered, “I’m only doing this because of Alex.”

“Whatever rocks your boat, my friend,” Tom winked.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Chris goes to the water park with the boys. Tom learns a secret of Chris and Chris has a visitor.

The only noise in the classroom was the furious scratching of pens onto notepads. Everyone seemed to devour everything the lecturer said. Besides, in Pudemaerd, classes are always to be taken seriously.

"First thing you must know about adults," Kevin, the lecturer began, adjusting his coat as he walked around the small room, "is that they don't believe in imaginary friends."

Hushed silence befell the room. Tom thought about what Kevin said before scribbling it onto his notepad.  Reading the freshly written sentence seemed out of place somehow. Ruby had suggested he took some courses on adult friendships since he had no experience. He compared this statement with his previous scope - Children never question their existence nor do they have a hard time believing that friendships are simple, so this is puzzling. Does this mean Chris don't believe he actually exist?

"But they still see us?" asked a teenage girl from the back of the class.

Kevin smiled well naturedly, "Ah... The reason why they can see us is because they _need_ us. Doesn't necessarily mean they believe that we exist," he explained.

 _That is true,_ thought Tom. Chris obviously didn't believe that he is one. He kept implying that Luke was his son. He has no idea how he formulated that in the first place. Tom frowned as he remembered how Chris kept pushing Alex's ability to see him as some psychiatric problem when it isn't. But could Tom convince him otherwise?

"The second thing you need to know about adults is that they are observant. This means they will notice when you change your clothes, when you come by to accompany them. This also brings to another point, adults are governed by this boring thing called common sense," Kevin drawled, shaking his head, as if irked by the very thought.

The class started to boo, Tom included. Common sense is one of the worse things they have to handle. Common sense is never favourable. For children, it's easy to just have them suspend their belief in reality. This probably explained why they love to play pretend. Adults on the other hand, are sceptical about almost everything.

Being friends with Chris was absolutely different. In fact it's a stark contrast to his friendship with Alex. With Chris, he can't leisurely stroll into the house whenever he feels like it. He can't sit at the dining table during meal times since Chris never invited him to eat together. There was even one time when Chris asked if Tom had any other clothes and even implied that he never showered since he had no new clothes. Tom also can no longer accompany Alex in his room at night since Chris would think he's doing something inappropriate.

It’s been difficult but also a refreshing experience. And that’s what Tom loved about this new friendship of his. Chris will never fail to surprise him.

* * *

  
Tom eyed an annoyed Chris folding swimming trunks into the duffel bag.  "You're not afraid of water right?" he asked. He was pretty sure Chris was annoyed with him since he suggested going to the water park yesterday.

"No," Chris grunted, "It's just water parks are like pee parades."

Tom burst out laughing, tilting his head back as he did. "You're afraid of a little pee?" he teased.

Chris shot him a derisive look. "I'm not afraid of anything!" he said defensively which sent Tom laughing more.

He gasped for air and grinned. "Then stop being a spoil sport!" He winked, "Embrace the pee parade!"

Chris couldn't help but grin. Tom's positive energy was too infectious. Chris checked the duffel bag again before calling the boys out. Earlier today, Chris had picked Luke up and Ellie had provided him with a bag full of sunscreen - probably enough sunscreen for 10 adults. Tom joked that instead of getting a tan, perhaps they'd be paler.

"Does Ellie know you're a part of this?" Chris was still uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if Ellie approved of his friendship with her ex.

"Why would Ellie want to know?" Tom shot back curiously before bounding down the staircase.

"I don't know," Chris shrugged, following Tom down. "Maybe she won't like it?"

Tom took a moment to think about it. "I'm pretty sure she won't mind," Tom assured him. And Chris decided to leave it at that.

The entire journey to the only water park in Alma was not at all quiet. Tom started to hum "She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain" 10 minutes into the drive and Alex joined in, singing the song, not caring for the tune.

"She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes! WHEN SHE COMES!" Alex half-sang, half-shouted. Both Chris and Tom burst out laughing.

Alex's face started to fall and Chris hurriedly consoled him. "No, no! Don't stop buddy! Go on!"

Luke nudged Alex and started to sing, urging Alex to join in.

_She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes, (when she comes)._   
_She'll be coming 'round the mountain, she'll be coming 'round the mountain,_   
_She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes, (when she comes)._

_She'll be ridin' six white horses when she comes, (when she comes)_

_She'll be ridin' six white horses ,she’ll be ridin' six white horses,_

_She'll be ridin' six white horses when she comes!_

Chris chuckled at the boys' out of tune rendition and soon Tom poked Chris to join. At first he shook his head as if to say it's silly but just when Alex was about to sing the song a third time, Chris relented. And they kept singing campfire songs the whole way until Chris safely parked.

This was the first time in a year, Chris felt so carefree and genuinely happy. All of his worries and stress was long forgotten and everything seemed bright again. He wasn’t sure if his friendship with Tom has made him feel this way but his positive energy was too damn infectious to ignore anyways. As soon as they were ready for the pool, the boys scrambled to the water slides.

"That looks like fun!" Tom exclaimed at the top of his voice, tugging on Chris's arms.

Chris cringed. "That's a water slide! It's for kids!"

"There's always the bigger one!" Tom pointed to a taller water slide to their right.

“Wha- No. Tom – I – don’t…”

"Come on!" Tom beckoned, without giving Chris a chance to protest. He ran towards the slide, turning slightly to see if Chris followed. He gave a cheeky smile before climbing up the ladder. “Come on! Stop being a spoil sport Chris!”

Chris growled. He wasn't sure why he followed Tom instead of walking away. Tom had already climbed onto the ladder and shouted for Chris to hurry. He climbed up grudgingly and placed two hands on his hips when he reached at the top.

"You know, we're no longer kids!” Chris half-shouted as Tom steered him towards the entrance of the slide tunnel.

"This is hardly necessary!" he protested and with that Tom pushed him into the tunnel. Chris yelped as he slid down, head first. He coughed as the water rushed towards him, flailing his arms around himself in a weak attempt to regain control of his own speed.

But he was too late.

He dived into the pool head first and panicked. The water rushed into his ears, drowning out any sounds. Chris kicked his way up, turning and tumbling, trying to get himself upright. It’s been quite some time since he swam. He could hear a dull splash towards his left as he hurriedly came up to the surface.

"What the fuck was that for?" Chris yelled, angrily splashing the water.

"Oi! Calm down!" Tom held out his hands. Chris let out a frustrated cry and swam away. He pushed himself out of the pool and marched to the opposite side of the pool.

Tom caught up with him. "Chris! Hey! Wait up!" Tom ran around him, blocking his path. "Fine. I'm sorry okay!" He relented, holding his arms out as if to prevent Chris from leaving. He knew he shouldn’t have pushed Chris down that tunnel without giving him a heads up. But what’s the point of being spontaneous when you second guess most of the time?

"Yeah that was a dick move dude!" Chris shoved him away, glaring at the crowd who gaped at him as he yelled.

"I know, I know," Tom apologised, grabbing Chris by the wrist.

"Let go of me."

Tom shook his head, stubborn. "Not until you let this matter go."

"I said let go of me!" Chris pried his fingers away but Tom held onto his shoulder instead. "Dude! Shove off!" Using brute force, Chris shoved Tom away. Tom was flung back into the pool, disappearing into the water with a noisy splash. As he watched the consequences of his actions in horror, Chris knew he may be overreacting.  He waited for Tom to resurface but he didn't. Panic began to overtake him as he crouched at the edge. "Come on Tom! Don't play games with me!" he cried out desperately.

"Water fight!" Tom bellowed as he shot out of the water, pulling Chris into the pool with him.

* * *

  
By the time they came out of the water park all giddy with their hair drenched, the sun had begun to set. Luke and Alex were still hitting one another's water gun arguing to prove whose is better. Chris promptly took the guns away. "That's enough." He threw the guns into the back of the truck before turning towards the boys, "I need some cheeseburgers, and anybody else wants one?"

"Yes please!" Tom and the boys shouted in unison. Chris raised an eyebrow up to Tom. As much as he likes the guy, his actions are quite puzzling. The words he uttered were probably the wisest ones Chris had ever heard but when it comes to the kids and his actions, he is probably the most childish adult Chris had ever met. Not that it bothered him, but it’s surprising that someone his age, who is also a father of one, could find so much joy by being a child himself. _Maybe he's just deprived of a childhood,_ Chris thought.

He was quiet when they dropped Luke off. Chris found it weird that he didn't even acknowledge Tom's presence and vice versa.

"You wanna stay for beer?" Chris asked once Alex bounded up the stairs.

Tom made a face, "You know I hate beer. But a glass of milk is good."

Chris raised his eyebrows at that. _Who hates beer?!_ "Alex, get into the shower and straight to bed alright?!" Chris shouted as he pulled the fridge open. They could Alex’s muffled ‘Yes’ through the walls. Tom muttered his thanks as Chris handed him his glass of milk.

"Can I ask you a question?" Chris asked, cracking his can of beer open. He guzzled the cold drink down, letting out a satisfied sigh as the drink quenched his throat.

"Shoot!" Tom replied, curious as to what Chris will ask him next. Before he could even say anything, Chris chuckled and pointed to his upper lip. Tom looked at him questioningly before realising that a moustache of milk had formed above his lips. He threw his head and laughed at himself before licking it off.

"You said you wanted to ask me a question," he reminded Chris, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh yeah...” Chris faltered, remembering, “Uh... Well I know this is none of my business but what happened between you and Ellie?" 

"What do you mean?" Tom asked innocently, grabbing a piece of cookie from a jar.

Chris shrugged. He didn't want to overstep the boundary but Tom's 'relationship' with Ellie and Luke baffled him. He has never seen Luke interact with Tom ever nor does Tom ever attempt to talk neither to Luke nor to Ellie.

"Like how did you guys end things?" Chris asked nervously.

"How do you even end things when they never started?" Tom replied. He drank his milk again, not liking where this conversation is going. He still has no idea why Chris kept insisting Luke is related to him.

 _Right,_ Chris thought. He wasn't sure if Ellie was ever married. Perhaps she had a one night stand and it ended there. "I still think it's wonderful you try to make it up to your son even if he doesn't reciprocate much," Chris spoke after a long and awkward pause.

"My son?!" Tom said in disbelief. 

"Uh yeah... Luke?" 

"Chris, I don't know where you get this idea from but Luke isn't my son nor am I married to Ellie," Tom explained desperately. "You don't understand Chris, they can't see me Chris. They don't need me, unlike you and Alex. I’m nothing to them." Tom was desperate for Chris to see this – to see that he’s not just another human being.

Chris on the other hand, didn’t take the hint. A sudden sadness weighed down his heart as Tom's words sunk in. He stared at Tom's weary face and finally understood. It suddenly reminded him of himself.

Tom let out a sigh of relief, _I hope that clears things up._ But he couldn't help noticing that Chris's crestfallen face. He was about to ask what's wrong when Chris thumped a hand on his shoulder.

"I know how you feel," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Alex's not my son either."

* * *

  
The old mustang chugged along the lonely road. Johnny Cash was crooning at the top of his voice as the driver adjusted his position in his seat. The air conditioner had broken down just when he entered the borders of Nebraska. The driver wound down the windows to have some ventilation but it was futile. The humid air greeted him and the wind was warm and heavy. Beads of perspiration trickled down his face as he hummed to the song.

5 miles later, the driver could see the sign, "Welcome to Alma! Enjoy your stay!"

He grinned to himself as he sped up. If he hurried, he could still be in time. He briefly glanced at his wrist watch.

9.30pm it read. _Good, he'll be up._

*  
"Alex is not..." Tom mouthed, unable to finish his sentence. He couldn't bear to. He could only imagine how much hurt Chris had to carry around. He was hit by disequilibrium and everything suddenly seemed absurd.

"When... How?" Tom blurted out, searching Chris’s face.

Chris shrugged, averting Tom's gaze. He cracked open another beer and downed it in one swig.

"It's a long story," he mumbled. He brought another unopened can and walked out of the kitchen. The night was quiet but humid. The crickets were loud and no sign of breeze. Chris settled onto one of the swings as he stared ahead.

Tom followed suit and spoke, "You do know you can tell me anything right?"

Chris nodded. He had never told anyone this. He wasn’t even sure if he wants to tell Tom. He rubbed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh and rested his forehead onto the cool metal chain of the swing.

“Coraline… Coraline had an affair. I didn’t even know it until the night she died,” Chris muttered. He lightly kicked back and began to swing. “We had a huge row that night. She wasn’t happy that I wanted to think about where this marriage is going. I was going through some confusing things personally and she was hurt by it…”

Tom had the urge to probe what ‘confusing things’ Chris was referring to but bit his tongue.

“So she said, ‘Good! Fine! That’s good since Alex is not even yours!’” Chris mimicked her, laughing bitterly. “I know I was confused with my sexuality and everything, but, I still loved her you know. She was my first.”

Tom gaped at him. All this is brand new to him and now he knew why Ruby was reluctant to have him work on this case. He wasn’t sure how to even handle this. A part of him wanted to console Chris but at the same time, white hot rage shot through his veins.

“So, I just lost it. I started shouting at her, breaking things in the house. And then when she stormed out, I forced her to tell who the father was,” by this time, Chris was choking back his tears.

“A – and, she told me it was my brother. My brother, Liam.”

Silence blanketed them, leaving only the crickets’ song to accompany the night. Tom held Chris’s hands in his, hoping that it will give him strength. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” a voice came from behind. “But even if you want to have a romantic time on the swings, the kid’s in the house ain’t he? It’s not appropriate.”


	7. Chapter 7

Tom dropped Chris's hand like hot coals and turned to the speaker. His eyes were wide and curious, his heart beating like drums as he tried to make his thoughts coherent.

_Who are you? You can see me too?_

A man with a lanky physique greeted him. He had brown hair, bushy eyebrows and looked familiar somehow. The stranger smirked at Tom before turning his attention to Chris who still has his back to him. Chris gripped onto the chains tightly till his knuckles gone white. Sparks of rage shot up his nerves as he abandoned the swing belt. The chains jangled noisily as he did.

"You have the nerve to set foot on my property?" Chris growled, his voice ice cold.

The man snickered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Technically it's ' _ours_ ' Chris. The farm included. Dad left everything to us equally. Or have you forgotten his will?"

_He's Liam. The brother._

"Oh so you're not gonna mention how you knocked up my wife and ran across the country to hide for years?!" Chris spat, balling up his fists.

Liam snorted, "Your wife? Your dead wife who you couldn't even sati-" 

Chris charged forward, rugby tackling Liam down. The brothers wrestled as Tom watched helplessly on the side. Chris managed to overpower his brother, straddling his hips before throwing punches to Liam's face mercilessly. Liam made no attempt to block the blows but instead chuckled bitterly every time Chris hit him, sputtering blood onto the ground. He didn't want Chris to have the satisfaction of hurting him.

"Chris, that's enough!" Tom cried, prying him away. Chris shoved him off, causing him to stumble back and land on his bottom. Tom had a sudden surge of anger that he had never felt before. He scrambled back up on his feet, charged forwards and tackled Chris off his brother. "I said that's enough!"  He yelled. Tom wrapped his arms around Chris tightly, using all of his strength to hold him down. Liam was sprawled, using the back of his hand to wipe away the blood. As soon as he caught sight of Chris and Tom, he smirked tauntingly at Chris.

"Dad? Tom?"

Chris immediately stopped struggling in Tom's brace. Standing on the back porch with his dishevelled hair and rumpled white pyjamas, Alex rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the scene in front of him. He was woken up by the shouting and the scuffling. Tom was sort of hugging a very reluctant Chris and to their left, Liam was crouched on all fours, coughing up blood onto the ground.

"What's going on?" Alex squeaked. He was confused as to why his uncle Liam was there and had a terrible gut feeling.

"Your so called dad was having a moonlit romance at the sw-"

"Why you fuc-" Chris growled, managing to get his arms free from Tom's embrace and clawing out to reach Liam. Tom struggled to keep his ground. "Chris!" he warned urgently. "Not in front of Alex please!"

Chris froze and stared at Tom, his anger slowly dissipating. He gave a formidable glare to Liam before turning towards Alex. "It's nothing buddy. Go back to bed."

* * *

  
Alex rubbed his eyes as Chris tucked him in. Tom had managed to calm the brothers down and now Liam was sitting in the kitchen despite Chris's protests while Chris had carried Alex off to this room. Chris switched off the lights and was about to close the door when Alex spoke, "Dad, why's Uncle Liam here?"

The light from the hallway only allowed Alex to see his father's silhouette but not his face. Alex could see his dad’s shoulder move. "I don't know buddy," he said, his voice defeated.

"Don't let him take me away again Dad," Alex pled. He sounded so small and afraid that it made Chris's heart ached. He gripped the door tightly as the words sunk in. Chris was too angry to ask when did he ever meet Liam but he had a feeling Coraline must have brought him.

"I won't Alex. I won't let him."

In his seven years of living, Alex had only met his Uncle Liam three times. The first time was when he's 4. He didn't remember much of that meeting but the only thing that stood out was Liam bringing him to a swing set and they kept playing for hours. That was the day when Alex knew he loved being up in the air.

The second time was when he's 5. Again Liam brought him swinging and he could vaguely remember his mother arguing heatedly with Liam before snatching him away from the swing, sending the swing rattling at the sudden abandonment. He could remember Liam's devastated face as his mother carried him away.

The most recent one was last year, 1 week before his mother died. She had brought him to a diner in another town and they ate pancakes before Liam joined them.

_"Come away with me Cora," Liam begged. His eyes flicked towards Alex and then back to Coraline. "He looks just like you," he whispered wistfully._

_Coraline shrugged and instinctively hugged her son. As much as she wants to leave Chris, Liam wasn't exactly dependable. He fleets from town to town, state to state. He has no permanent home, no stable job which means no stable income. "How are we supposed to go with you when you have no money Liam?" Coraline replied exasperatedly. They have been going on about this again and again – every time they have met. She was getting tired of it._

_"If I take you both away, I'll change Cora. I'll change for you and Alex. I promise." He was desperate. Liam wanted her, needed her. He knew she chose Chris over him all those years ago was not because she loved Chris but to hurt him – to give him the message that he wasn’t good enough for her. He had left her in a ditch as he was chased by drug dealers. Liam knew Coraline hadn't really forgiven him for that. If not for Chris who found her, she might have ended up dead._

_"I can't just leave Chris behind like that Liam. Your brother needs me..."_

_Liam clicked his tongue at her words. "He doesn't," Liam spat._

_"What do you mean?!"_

_Liam dug into his pocket and tossed 5 dollars to Alex. "Get us some taffy from the counter buddy." Alex took the money reluctantly and slid out of the booth. He watched Coraline’s face that was lined with uncertainty before turning his back to her._

_"What do you mean by that Liam," Coraline hissed, keeping her voice low. Her eyes were on her son, slowly walking up to the counter, holding out the money to the cashier, asking for taffy._

_"I meant what I meant," Liam said grimly. "I saw him at a gay bar the other day."_

_"What?!" Coraline half-shouted, snapping her attention back to Liam, almost shooting out of her seat._

_"Keep your voice down!" Liam warned._

_"When did you see him, Liam?!" Coraline persisted._

_"A few nights ago."_

_Coraline slumped back into her seat, not realising Alex had returned, spreading the taffies that he had bought onto the table top. Her mind was reeling, running through labyrinths, getting lost. She didn’t take notice of Chris’s odd behaviour for the past few months but this… This explains why he couldn’t…_

_Liam patted Alex’s head awkwardly. He knew he had to give Coraline some time to digest this new information. Hopefully she’d agree this time.  "Do you wanna come away with me buddy?"_

_Alex looked at Liam squarely in the eyes with his big blue ones before mouthing, "No."_

_"Your mom is coming! So why not?!" Liam asked again, having trouble suppressing his anger. He glanced briefly at Coraline who was still shocked and miles away._

_"Because my dad won't be coming," Alex said simply. He shrugged and scratched his head. He doesn’t like the sound of this and had a feeling that his dad wouldn’t be too._

_"Your dad doesn't want any of you," Liam growled, giving in to his frustration._

_"That's not true!" Alex argued. "If you take mom away, he'll need me!"_

_Liam grasped Alex by his shoulder tightly. "He doesn't!" He shouted to the small boy in his grasp. Moisture started to glisten over Alex’s eyes and soon tears started pouring over his cheeks._

_By this time, everyone in the diner was staring at them, whispering amongst themselves and pointing to their booth. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Coraline yelled, snatching Alex away. "You dare hurt my son and you want me to come away with you?!" she raised her voice in disbelief._

_"Cora..." Liam stood up, trying to block her path, “Please… I – I- didn’t mean to…”_

_"Get out of my way!" Coraline shouted, shoving Liam aside, dragging Alex out of the diner._

_Alex could still remember that day clearly. He stopped crying almost immediately. But his mother had cried all the way home. She made him promise to never tell Chris what had happened before sending him to his room. She then made sure Chris was still in the fields before locking herself in the bathroom for a long hour._

* * *

 

Tom handed Liam a soaked towel to clean himself. Liam grabbed it reluctantly and started to wipe away the blood on his chin.

"You need ice," Tom said, observing Liam's bruised eye. He took out several cubes, placed them into a plastic bag before handing it to Liam. He muttered his thanks and let out a sigh of relief as the cold soothed his pain. He wasn’t sure of Tom’s intention for bringing him into the house but Liam kept his mouth shut. It has been so long since he set foot into his childhood home. The dining table was still the same and so were the kitchen cabinets.

“So what’s your name again?” Liam spoke as he watched Tom washing the blood of his towel.

“Tom. My name is Tom and you’re Liam,” Tom answered matter-of-factly. There were so many questions Tom wanted to ask but he realised it wasn't wise. It was better if Chris was here. But it bothered him that Liam could easily see him without any work done. He wasn't sure what to make of this but one thing was apparent: the Hemsworths need him.

Heavy footsteps descended the stairs and shuffled their way into the kitchen. Tom nodded to Chris as he entered and pulled out a chair for him. "Sit," he commanded before taking another clean towel to soak. Chris did as he asked to and took the towel.

"Aaaaww, how sweet," Liam mocked, smirking as he watched Chris's face contort in anger.   
"Shut it," Tom warned and both brothers stared at him. Chris had never heard Tom angry before. He had always been joyful and carefree, never showing the other side of him. His voice was laced with quiet menace and somehow it scared him. Just a little.

"You're not going to brawl like a pair of gorillas under this roof, when Alex is upstairs sleeping. For his sake, be civilised."

"I will be if he gets out of my face," Chris muttered, averting Tom's piercing gaze.

"Listen to your boyfriend, Chris."

"I'm not his boyfriend!" "He's not my boyfriend!"

Both Chris and Tom raised their voices in protest at the same time. Liam raised his eyebrows as if to surrender. They both glared daggers at Liam. There was a long awkward pause before Chris broke the silence.

"Why are you here Liam?"

Liam shrugged in his seat, putting the ice pack down. "I wanted to see him... I wanted to see Alex," he explained.

Chris snorted, "After all these years and only now you want to see him?!"

"I've seen him before Chris. Just not when you're around! I've seen my son!" Liam banged the table.

Tom was about to shush them when Chris interrupted, "If you call yourself a father, you wouldn't have appear and disappear when you want to Liam! You have no right over Alex. He's mine!"

"He's not yours!" Liam shot back. "I have the DNA test to prove it!"

"Fuck your test! I raised him. I changed his diapers, I rocked him to sleep whenever he cries, and paid for his school fees, made sure he’s all well. And where were you all these years?! Trying to make it big in Las Vegas by gambling? You think Alex needs all that?!”

“Alex needs his real father! Not someone who stalks off with another man and have a romantic moment when his son is asleep!” Liam snarled, throwing a disgusted look at Tom.

“Shut your hole, Liam!”

“So tell me, Chris, how does it feel like, bringing up your brother’s bastard son this whole time and finally finding out that your wife had cuckolded you for the past 6 years of your life?!”

“You, FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!” Chris bellowed, flipping the table and clawing at Liam’s shoulder.

Tom held Chris back. “I told you to stop fighting. STOP IT BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE!” Tom hissed desperately. He couldn’t pick up the phone and call the police. They won’t hear him much less get the call even. He knew that but he didn’t have any other choice. By this time, he half-expected Alex to be down, awoken by the ruckus again.

“Can’t we all just talk like adults?!” Tom interjected, surprised at the words coming out of his own mouth. To be honest, he has no idea what does ‘talk like adults’ mean but he was pretty sure it doesn’t involve name calling, vulgarities and shouting. “Sit down! Both of you!”

The brothers sat down again, seething, as Tom propped the dining table back up. “If you both admit yourselves as Alex’s father, act like one. He doesn’t need brawling trolls in his life.”

“Who are you calling trolls?!” Liam interjected.

“Keep acting like one then,” Tom huffed, folding his arms as he sat on his stool.

“Why come in the night, making such a ruckus now Liam?! You know I’m tired of all this bullshit of yours.”

Liam grunted, rubbing his face as if exasperated. He was tired too. He wanted to scream and let out all of his frustration. He wanted Coraline. He needed her.

“My bullshit Chris?” Liam sneered, as he looked up to his elder brother. Who knew they were once best friends? Inseparable even. “What about yours? You took Coraline away from me even when you knew she was mine. And then along the way, you decide to like guys now?! What bullshit is that?!”

Chris gaped at Liam. “Coraline told you?” his voice soft and distant.

“No,” Liam answered reluctantly. “I saw you at a gay bar across town.”

“When?”

“2 weeks before Coraline died,” Liam clenched his fists, remembering Coraline’s reaction on the day they met at the diner.

“I won’t deny it, Liam. I’m confused with myself brother but… but…”

“But what?!” Liam interrupted, impatiently.

“I was there to collect money,” Chris admitted. He was ashamed, truly.

“Collect money?! What money?!”

Chris heaved a deep sigh before explaining, “Before dad died, he invested an amount of money… Thing is, Paul, his old mate didn’t tell him what kind of business he’s investing in.  Little did he know that it’s a night entertainment business. He didn’t include it in the will because he didn’t have the time. After their funeral, Paul came to me with a cheque of $500, since I was the only one in town. And the cheque came monthly.”

Silence befell them as Chris’s words sunk in.

“Dad invested in a gay bar and he doesn’t know?” a short chuckle escaped Liam’s lips, filling the kitchen with soft laughter. Chris laughed too.

“That totally sounds like him,” Liam chortled. Chris could only nod, chuckling at the idea of his poor dad wanting a side income and then being tricked into something ‘shady’. And then he slowly realised that it has been years since he had laughed with Liam, agreeing to what he says. It brought back fond memories and melted away his anger. A tiny part of him was still angry but he loved Liam regardless of whatever he had ever done.

A hint of a smile slowly carved onto Tom’s face as the brothers laughed. He loved the sound of laughter. It was his favourite thing in the world Laughter meant happiness, joy and hilarity even if it’s temporary. He could see the warmth emitting from those laughs, the memories that came with them, erasing sadness, disappointment and hatred away. He knew this was going to be a difficult journey ahead. There’s so much left to do. And getting the brothers to get along for Alex was only the beginning. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of a scuffle isn't always pretty. Tom reports to Ruby and Chris learns why Liam has come to Alma.

"You mean everyone can see you now?" Ruby exclaimed as soon as Tom finished reporting to her.

"No," Tom hurriedly explained, "The Hemsworths only... All three of them can see me."

Ruby nodded, waving it off. "Wow. I've never had a case where the entire family can see one of us before..." her voice trailed. She has heard of it of course but it was rare. Definitely rare for someone like Tom who just specialises in children.

"What do I do Ruby? I love a new challenge but this... This is really huge! Where do I start? How do I help them? What do they need?!" Tom babbled, flustered at all of this. The whole ruckus the Hemsworths made the night before was enough to scare him out of his wits. He didn’t want it to repeat again.

Ruby put out a hand as if to stop Tom's never ending rant. "Calm down Tom. I'm sure we can guide you in this... But so far, you did the right thing. Calming them down and making them talk things out is the first step." She gave him an empathetic look as her hands squeezed his. "Adult friendships are always hard. I've been there."

Tom nodded helplessly. He was sure Ruby had many experiences. But according to her, adult friendships are much more complex than children. Emotions, motives and issues get in the way. When he left the previous night, Chris had reluctantly let Liam stay in the house. His old room was now Alex's so he had to use the guest room. Tom knew he has to be there when morning comes. God knows what Liam might do to trigger Chris's temper again. Liam irritates the hell out of him but he could sense that all he needed was attention and someone to listen to him. Just like Chris.

"I'm here if you need anything, Tom," Ruby assured him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sure," Tom replied. He was about to stand and leave when a nagging thought hit him. He sat back down hastily.

"Ruby... What's a boyfriend?"

Ruby widened her eyes at Tom's question. "You don't know?"

"I... do..." Tom faltered nervously, "Just not too sure the connotations the term carries really." He shrugged and slumped back. _Adult relationships and their lingo will be the death of me._

A soft giggle escaped from Ruby's lips, making Tom smile. "Oh dear... Boyfriend is usually for a special someone... A lover to be precise," Ruby explained. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she spoke with a hint of amusement on her lips.

"A lover..." he repeated. Tom instantly blushed at the thought and could feel his ears turn hot. He wasn’t sure why but the term brought so many inappropriate suggestions to mind. "Oh my goodness. That's just... Oh my…” Tom sputtered, embarrassed. He covered his crimson face with his hands, not wanting Ruby to see him like this.

More laughter could be heard as Ruby left her chair and came around to give Tom a sisterly hug. "Oh you naive little thing," she whispered, still chuckling.

Tom laughed nervously. "But I'm not... I'm not... you know..."

Ruby pulled away, cupping Tom's burnt cheeks, "Oh I know. I know." She winked at him and giggled some more before sitting on her desk. "Having said that Tom," her tone became serious and Tom's ears perked up to listen. "It's wise to not form any romantic feelings with anyone."

Tom shrugged. "You don't have to worry about that Ruby," Tom assured her. "I'm not even sure I know how to..." he instantly blushed again and waved it off – embarrassed at the way he left the sentence hanging. It didn't sound decent. He wanted to rectify what he just said but couldn’t think of anything to say.

Ruby could only beam. "I'm just saying," she teased before shooing Tom out of her office.

* * *

  
Chris was too exhausted to even speak to Liam yesterday night. He checked that Alex was still asleep before retiring to his own room. He didn't even bother checking in on Liam. He's an adult. He could take care of himself. This morning was absolutely awkward for them but Alex wanted pancakes and Chris managed to avert any conversations with his brother by throwing himself in cooking.

"You love pancakes?" Liam asked Alex. The boy nodded vigorously as he drummed his fingers on the table.

"I love them too," said Liam pensively. Then an idea hit him, "What's your favourite vehicle Alex?"

"Aeroplanes!" 

"I love them too!" Liam quipped. "They can fly!"

Alex grinned and it warmed Liam's heart. His innocent smile reminded him of Coraline and how he used to be the reason why she’s happy. He wanted to make amends and having a good rapport with his own son is the first step.

Chris pretended not to pay attention when Liam and Alex continue to banter. He could feel an odd sense of jealousy and at the same time an urge to protect Alex. Chris managed to suppress them, reminding himself that if Liam claims that he just wanted to see Alex, then he wouldn’t hurt his own son. When Chris was done, a tall golden tower of pancakes was ready. He took out the maple syrup from the fridge before placing the stack on the dining table.

"Alex, get the plates and the utensils," Chris instructed.

"Why are you making the kid do the job?"

"Why can't I?" Chris countered, annoyed.

Liam had half a mind to tell Chris to stop commanding his kid but remembered that Alex didn't know what's going on. "Dude. You have your hands – do it yourself."

"I can do it Uncle Liam," Alex interrupted. He left his seat and started to set the table, shooting Liam an annoyed look. He wasn’t sure what the big deal is.

"Well in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to teach my son responsibility. So if you don't mind..."

Liam bit back a retort and grudgingly accepted a plate from Alex.

"Eat."

When Tom arrived at the Hemsworths, all three of them were sitting around the battered dining table devouring a stack of pancakes each.

"Tom!" Alex called out, spotting Tom at the backdoor. Liam barely looked at him and continued munching on his breakfast. Chris nodded grimly at him and Tom could tell that from his expression Liam had ticked him off again and was just bottling up his emotions for Alex's sake.

Alex jumped off his chair before running towards Tom, giving him a hug around his midriff.

"Hey you," Tom greeted him, bending to return the hug.

"Pancakes, Tom?" Chris asked, holding out an empty plate. Tom politely declined.

"It's okay. I've had breakfast... I'm here to just check on Alex. He glanced from Chris to Liam. “Is everything alright?" But both kept mum. Tom had lowered himself to his knees as Alex tugged on the hem of his shirt.

"Did you sleep well Alex?" It was Tom's way of checking if his fathers had brawled when he left. If they had, Alex would have complained about it. But instead, Alex nodded, "Yes I did!"

Despite the racket yesterday night, Alex had slept so soundly. Chris's assurance that he won't let Liam take him was enough to make him feel at ease and safe. He dreamt of Coraline that night, smiling and laughing, poking for Chris to stop telling his jokes. They were in the truck – all three of them. Chris was driving with the windows down. The wind swept their hair back, cooling the humidity. Alex didn’t know where they were going in the dream but he knew he didn’t want it to end.

"Dad is gonna send me over to Ellie's today. He said he has some work to do. You wanna come along with me?" Alex asked Tom innocently. It had been some time since he played with Tom. He missed his best friend.

Tom ruffled his hair, smiling warmly. "I'm not sure I can buddy..." He shot a concerned look over to Chris who returned him a solemn look. Tom knew he wanted to talk things out with Liam. Tom had a strong gut feeling that there'd be a brawl again and sending Alex away would avoid him witnessing anything ugly. He wasn't sure whether to watch over Alex and Luke or his fathers. Truth be told, he was more worried for the adults. At least the kids will have Ellie.

Chris’s fork clattered against the plate as he swallowed the last of his pancake. "Buddy, I think Uncle Tom is going to stay with me this time. You'll have fun with Luke," he said before chugging down a mug of coffee.

Alex's face fell and his eyes searched Tom's face, wanting him to say otherwise. But Tom knew Chris needed him more. Probably to hold him off whenever he feels like punching the hell out of Liam. Tom shook his head, defeated, at Alex before ruffling his hair again. "Maybe next time okay?"

Alex nodded unenthusiastically. "Okay."

* * *

 

"Liam? He's back in town?" Ellie asked in disbelief. The last time she saw him was a year ago, before Coraline's death. She wasn't sure if Chris knew of Liam's affair with his wife. Liam and he weren't exactly on good terms even before Chris married Coraline. Liam's drug abuse was well-known across town. So when she found out that Coraline ended up marrying Chris, Ellie was relieved that her friend made the right choice. But that feeling didn't last long.

Chris rolled his eyes before nodding his head grimly. "Yup. He's back alright."

"I hope you two can work things out," said Ellie earnestly. She had grown to care about Chris and she hated the fact that his volatile brother is back to screw things upside down. Chris shrugged at her comment, giving her a small hint of a smile. He was fond of Ellie but something was telling him that she knew something she shouldn't have. Chris wondered if she knew of Liam’s affair with Coraline but brushed it off. Even if she knew, who is he to be angry at her or even pin the blame on her?

"If you need anything, just give me a call," said Chris before waving goodbye to Alex.

* * *

  
"I've never seen you in town before," Liam lamented, eyeing Tom. He had poured himself cup of coffee and had observed Liam eating his pancakes until Liam felt harassed. Chris had left him behind with Liam.

"Doesn't mean I don't exist," Tom replied simply. "I haven't seen you around either."

"I've out and about," Liam said, waving his fork around before its sharp ends land on a piece of his breakfast. He popped the last piece of his pancake into his mouth before wiping his lips with a napkin.

"Where?" Tom asked curiously. Liam cocked an eyebrow up as he put down the napkin beside his plate. _He's a weirdo this one._ "Across the country... Las Vegas."

Tom's lips curved downwards as his brain tried to work out where Las Vegas is located. "What were you doing there?"

"Uh... I..."

"Gambling," said Chris, finishing his brother’s sentence. A frown was carved on his forehead as he dragged a chair out of the table, twirling it around to face both Liam and Tom. He sat with his hands resting on the back of the chair. Liam shot him a derisive look.

"Trying to make a fortune more like," he corrected.

And Tom shot another question innocently, "Why don't you just get a job?"

"Yes, Liam. Why _didn't_ you get a job like a normal person?" Chris enunciated, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Because," Liam explained impatiently, “When someone insists that only _he_ can work on the family inheritance and convinces me that I am a good for nothing, my self-esteem is crushed."

"What bullshit is that?!" Chris chided, raising his hands up.

"Well Chris, unlike you, I didn't finish High School since you stole my gir-"

"That's enough," Tom asserted. "Enough of this nonsense. Please. You two are adults. What I'm listening to is what two emotionally unstable teenagers would say to each other."

"Who are you to be a mediator anyways?" Liam argued.

"He's here because we both know that without him, I'd have killed you with my bare hands by now," Chris muttered.

Liam clenched his fists but said nothing. What Chris said was true. He'd be dead right now if Tom wasn't there to intervene.

"I couldn't get a stable job ok?!" Liam said defensively. "All I could do was to be a kitchen hand or some temp cashier at a Walmart. Nobody wants me." His voice went soft at the end as if he was helpless and there was nothing he could do about it. "I thought with gambling I could make it big and finally take care of my son. I... I wanted to be responsible Chris. I really did. I was prepared to get beaten up and all by you when I come and tell you but... but Cora made a valid point. Alex would be better off with you..." 

“And he is.” Chris huffed and turned away from Liam. It was too painful to even look at him right now.

“You still haven’t told me why you decide to come out of the blue,” Chris said, twiddling his thumbs. His knuckles ached and his fingers were sore from last night. A slow migraine was creeping onto his scalp, making him cringe whenever it throbs. He instinctively reached the back of his neck and massaged it lightly.

“I told you Chris. I just wanted to see Alex,” Liam insisted. Tom noticed the dilation in Liam’s pupils when he said that. Liam was hiding something and Tom wasn’t comfortable.

“Fine,” said Chris. “You’ve seen him. Now leave.” He cracked his knuckles, avoiding Liam’s wild gaze as the words sunk in.

“You can’t kick me out of my own house Chris.”

“This is not your house,” said Chris simply. “This is _my_ house. I took care of everything in the house ever since the day dad died and you were nowhere to be seen.”

“My name is on that will. I have every right to this house as you,” Liam persisted. “Are you going to kick me out on the streets?!”

Chris didn’t answer. Instead he stood up, put back the chair to the table and began to walk away from Liam.

“Chris. Please,” Liam pled. There was something in his voice that made him stop in his tracks. Liam’s voice was soft and pained and it was almost as if to say that he’s at the brink and he needed help. Despite his anger, Chris could feel the pain in Liam’s voice tugging onto his masochistic heart, making it ache. It had been a very long time since he felt the need to protect his younger brother.

“Tell me why you’re here Liam. Tell me and maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you stay.” Chris didn’t want to go back and forth on all this. He was tired of playing mind games. Liam has to straighten up and prove his worth.

There was a long pause. Liam had heaved a deep sigh as he slacked against his chair. A million thoughts and scenarios ran through his mind as he imagined himself telling the truth. He could only wonder what Chris’s reaction would be like.  He glanced at Tom who had been observing them both before making eye contact with Chris.

“You really wanna know the truth?” he asked. This time he sounded weak – as if he’s ready to give up his entire tough act and just let go.

Chris could only fold his arms, awaiting for the big moment of truth.

Liam heaved another deep sigh. “I’m here to see Alex because…” he hesitated and he could see Chris wanting to just leave when he paused.

He has to say it. He has to let Chris know.

“I’m… I’m dying Chris.”

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

_"Mr Hemsworth, how long have these symptoms been present?"_

_The woman in front of him pulled his hand toward her and strapped the blood pressure belt around his right bicep before pumping it. Her eyes were fixed upon the scale as she pumped and slowly released it. Liam could almost hear the whirring of the gears in her brain as he watched her intent face._

_"The headaches or the fainting spells?" he asked sheepishly, feeling the uncomfortable pressure on his bicep. He didn't like being attended by a female. It made him look weak and pathetic._

_"Both." The woman's hazel eyes left the scale and focused on his face with a blank expression._

_"Uh..." Liam hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand. "For a few months now? Though it's been frequent these few weeks."_

_She nodded, acknowledging his answer, her face betraying no emotions. Unstrapping the belt, the woman removed it before scribbling some notes onto her clipboard._

_"We need to send you for a MRI scan just in case."_

_"You can't tell me what's going on?" Liam didn't like the sound of this. He has never heard of this scan the woman was talking about._

_"No, Mr Hemsworth," the woman said carefully. "I may be a doctor but without concrete evidence, I can't diagnose you and advise treatment." Liam could tell she was trying to be sincere but she appeared to be cold and irritated. He wanted to take offence but decided to suppress it. Liam only wanted to solve his problems, not argue with a doctor about her competencies._

_"So with this scan you'll be able to tell me what's going on?"_

_"We'd be able to see your brain activity and perhaps detect what has been causing you those migraines and fainting spells." She scribbled something onto a slip of paper and passed it to Liam. "Hand it over to the counter later." Liam's puzzled look caught her attention and she softened. "Mr Hemsworth. It's probably nothing. We just want to make sure of that."_

_Oh how wrong she was._

* * *

 

_There it was again - that heavy throbbing at the back of his head. Liam grunted as he held up a hand to massage the sore spot. A part of him wanted to scream, hurl out vulgarities, and punch on the walls till they break. The news had broken him down into pieces. Liam turned in his bed, pushing the pillow against his face, but the throb at the back of his head didn’t allow him to rest._

_He couldn’t understand what the doctor was explaining to him the few hours before. He couldn’t even spell out the words cerebellum and meninges when she diagnosed him. All he knew was that he has brain tumour and the cancer was at stage 4. The most advanced. And time was running out for him. 6-7 months maximum._

_He thought about his meeting with Coraline and how he had hurt her and his son. A sudden pang of guilt shacked itself to him. And Chris just had to flash before his eyes. He had cuckolded his own brother and let him take care of his bastard son as his own. Liam growled in pain and threw away the pillow. He painstakingly sat up before reaching for his mobile phone._

_The phone clicked as he unlocked the screen. Instinctively, his fingers danced across the keypad, naturally keying in Coraline’s number. It was late and he had a feeling Coraline would answer. He listened to the monotonous droning of the dial three times before she picked up._

_“Cora? Hey. I know I caught you at a – “_

_There was a sob and a hiccup at the other end of the line. “Li-liam.”_

_Liam’s ear perked up. What the hell is going on? “Cora? Are you crying? Cora, what’s going on?” He could hear some zooming sounds and he figured Cora was either on the road or outside the house._

_“Li-liam,” Coraline choked. “I – I – I told him Liam. I – told him about Alex.”_

_Liam shot straight up from the bed. “What?!” His voice went up higher, “What did you do that for?!”_

_Coraline sniffed loudly. “I – I – don’t know. We fought about him at the gay bar and I – I – was so angry. I le – le – let it all out.” Another loud zooming sound was heard and Liam got worried._

_“Cora, if you’re driving right now, I suggest you stop. It’s not safe.”_

_“Don’t tell me what I can or cannot do Liam!” Coraline screamed into the phone._

_“I’m not!” Liam hurriedly said, grimacing at her tone. It made his throbbing headache worse but he didn’t want her to do anything drastic.  “Cora, calm down okay? Just talk to me. “_

_There was another loud sob at the other end and then a deafening crash._

* * *

  
"You're what?!" Chris said. His voice soft. It was as if he didn't want the world around him to collapse, like everything is now tipped on a delicate scale. One wrong move would render everything destroyed. The strain in his face was gone and was now replaced by concern.

Liam avoided his gaze and looked down to the floor, ashamed. "Got diagnosed last year. Stage 4 brain cancer..."

There was hushed silence in the kitchen. Tom was still processing what just happened. This was all happening too fast. A million questions were running through Chris's and Tom's minds. Each of them was confusing. Their thoughts were jumbled and not making any sense.

"Can't you go for surgery or chemo?" Chris asked, breaking the silence. His voice sounded small and pained and it only made Liam feel worse. He dreaded the day when he had to tell Chris. Liam contemplated on coming for Coraline’s funeral that day. It was only a few days since he found out then. But he knew this day would come, even if it was as bitter than it already is. More so, perhaps.

Liam let out a bitter laugh. "You think I have money for all that? Hah. Besides it's too late." He couldn't help but gulp as he uttered 'too late'. Doctors didn't even try to pacify him. He only has 30% of surviving if he were to go for surgery. The cancer had spread to the cerebellum and meninges and the likelihood of him surviving meant that he'd be a vegetable.

Chris was lost for words. He was too numb to even react. _Too late. He was too late._ He thumped his hand onto his brother's shoulder, tears welling up in his eyes and his face was crestfallen. Try as he might, there was a twinge of regret for the physical violence last night. The very thought of losing Liam weighed his masochistic heart down heavily. Liam was the only other family he has besides Alex. "I'm so sorry," was all he could choke out.

Liam covered his hand with his own. "I'm sorry too." He broke down as he leaned forward, pressing his face against Chris's midriff. The despair Chris felt was overwhelming. It was like a beast had clawed at his heart, leaving it mangled. Kneeling in front of his brother, Chris pulled Liam into his brace, floodgates open. "You're not going anywhere… You’re not going anywhere you hear me?"

Liam could only nod against the crook of Chris’s neck.

* * *

  
The illness caused Liam to feel tired very easily even though at times he has bursts of energy. The bursts didn’t last long though. The brothers agreed to keep Liam's illness from Alex. Tom was against it at first but considering the context and Alex's age, he agreed to it. If Liam wasn't roaming around the house, fiddling with the furniture or fixtures, he would be napping either in the guest room or just about anywhere. But when Liam is awake, he took the time to get to know his son, questioning him about things and sitting at the swings with his forehead resting on the metal chain. Chris had brought him up well. That’s for sure. He wanted Chris to know that but it seemed to slip from his mind every time. His memory was slowly getting affected. Once he even forgot he was talking to Alex and just walked away from the boy. Tom was genuinely taken by surprise but was understanding. He explained to Alex that Liam was just tired and had a lot in his mind. To be honest, it was hard for him to not tell.

“He has a lot on his mind?” Tom nodded as Alex repeated his words. “What does that mean Tom?”

Tom shrugged, scratching the back of his neck, trying to form his words. “It means he’s… thinking about things.”

“What things?” Alex quipped again, his eyes wide with curiosity. This time, Tom was speechless. It was very hard for Tom to omit the truth, for he’s trained to practice honesty with his friends.

“I don’t know buddy. But it’s best to be understanding and not pester Uncle Liam so much okay?” He ruffled Alex’s hair before nudging him to go to the swings.

“Okay.”

Chris was doing all he can. Liam had refused for any treatment. So the only thing he could do was be more accommodating. He had gone to the library to research more on Liam’s condition, bringing stacks of paper printed from there to read at home. He was sure he couldn’t do much but reading about it and understanding what his brother was going through was probably the only thing could do. 

“Isn’t there anything else we can do for him?” Tom asked Chris. He perched himself on the arm chair opposite to the one where Chris was laying on. Chris grunted and shuffled the paper away from his torso as he sat up. “I… I’m not sure Tom.” He was so preoccupied with Liam that he failed to notice that Tom had been with them day in, day out, without fail. Chris shoved his fingers through his blonde hair as he slumped forward. “He refuses help. I... I just don’t want to disrespect his wishes.”

This time, it was Tom’s turn to shrug. He pursed his bottom lip, brows furrowing as he thought long and hard. “You know,” he spoke, “Maybe you can ask him what he wants to do… before you know… things gets worse.” A part of him was afraid for saying things like that however Tom was certain Chris felt the same way. It’s better to address the issue now rather than regret the things they didn’t do while they had the chance.

“You’re right,” Chris sighed. His pale blue eyes met with Tom’s and a tiny grateful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He really didn’t. Without Tom, he wouldn’t have known that Liam has been having memory lapses, nor would he now about Liam’s stamina and fainting spells. The corn had to be harvesting and taking care of everything alone was taking a toll on him. “You know Tom, you don’t have to trouble yourself. I mean… I appreciate it but I’m pretty sure you have other things to do.”

At that Tom let out a dismissive snort, “Nonsense, Chris. I told you already, I am here because you need me. Your family needs me. Nothing more, nothing less.” Tom scrutinised his hands as he spoke, “You can’t keep everything from Alex forever you know. He has the right to know about the truth including Liam’s illness.”

“I know,” Chris answered resignedly. Casting away the ominous reminder of the truth, Chris focused his attention elsewhere. “So… Liam…” he began. Chris tied his messy hair into a neat ponytail before saying, “He had always wanted to swim at this little creek near the edge of town. Our dad brought us once but he was too young to remember.”

* * *

 

The air outside was crisp as sunlight peeked through the blinds of the Hemsworths’ residence. It was still as early as 7am and no one was stirring.

“Cuck-a-doodle-doo!”

Alex, who had always been a light sleeper, cracked open an eye. Confusion clouded him. They don’t have any cockerel.

“Cuck-a-doodle-doo!”

Alex rubbed his eyes and peeled away his sheets. Jumping out from bed, he padded to Chris’s room. The door was slightly ajar and Chris too, just like Alex, has one eye open, slumber dust still thick on his eyelids. “What the hell is that?” he grunted. Alex’s shoulders went up and down dramatically.

And again, “Cuck-a-doodle-doo!”

“Jesus!” Chris clambered out of his bed and opened the blinds, “Since when do we have a f- cockerel?!” When he looked down, he was greeted by Tom who was standing below their window with his hands cupping his mouth. “Cuck-a-doodle-doo!”

“What the hell?!” Liam shouted from the room to their right. The window slammed open and Liam’s brunette head was seen poking out. “It’s at the crack of dawn goddamnit!”

Satisfied that the Hemsworths are awake with their heads poking out of their respective windows, Tom chuckled and placed both hands on his hips. “Rise and shine Hemsworths! Today we’re going to swim and have a picnic at the creek!”

It took them a few seconds to realise what Tom was talking about. “A creek?!” Alex asked, his voice excited and high pitched. Upon hearing Alex’s excitement, Liam shouted to Chris whilst jabbing a finger to Tom’s direction, “Is he talking about that creek dad brought us to almost 20 years ago?!”

“I guess,” Chris said uncertainly, frowning at Tom and squinting against the bright sunlight.

“Of course I am! Now, get your sleepy bums downstairs. Always good to start early!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly apologise for the delay of this fic. I am caught up with assignments and teaching... Thus... Updates will be slow unfortunately but don't worry. I'm never abandoning this fic! I love it too much. It's one of my precious babies.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry to those who have been waiting so long for this update. Who knew it only took a Thor movie to get my muse back (And a couple hiddlesworth interviews haha). Enjoy it! The next update will not be as soon since I have exams approaching. Enjoy this chapter!

"Where are we going again?" Liam asked with his face scrunching up as he tried to fight off a headache. All four of them were squeezed together at the front, with Liam taking the window seat and Alex on Tom's lap.

Chris turned, glanced at his brother before shooting Tom a look. "The creek dad brought us to when we were kids," he replied "Remember that creek?" His light blue eyes watched Liam's face as he tried to recall. It took quite some time and Liam eventually gave up, dozing off instead. Tom could only shrug to Chris. It's been like this for several days now. A thought would float into Liam's head and disappear into thin air the next second. Chris didn't want the worst to come. Both of them failed to notice that Alex was observing their reactions. Tom decided to change the subject, "So I packed us all sandwiches, two huge bottles of apple and orange juice - both in the cooler, potato chips, some cakes from Pudemaerd and a few tidbits here and there."

Alex giggled as soon as Tom mentioned Pudemaerd. "Puta- what?" he giggled, baring his teeth.

Tom feigned being offended, "Hey! It's where I came from!" It only sent Alex giggling more. Tom pouted and Alex hurriedly pacified him, "Oh Tom! It's just a funny name that's why!" This time, Chris chuckled.

"What now?" Tom shot, shooting Chris a derisive look even though his bright blue eyes were twinkling. Chris shook his head, chortling, "Funny like the man himself."

Tom gulped as Chris said that. A tiny part of him swelled and he was uncertain on how to react to it. So Tom slapped his forehead. "Sheesh. Like father, like son!"

And for some reason that statement sent a pang to Chris's heart and made it clench. It was obvious that Chris was affected by his playful comment. Tom hadn't meant any harm but the guilt was overwhelming as he witnessed Chris's face fall for a split second. Tom shot him an apologetic look without being too obvious and Chris could only shrug in response.

They arrived at the creek within 45 minutes. Alex gently shook Liam awake as Chris parked the truck. It was still early in the morning and no one was in sight. Perfect, thought Tom. He doesn't like it when there are too many people in an area and they'd stare at his friends as if they have lost their marbles, talking to someone they can't see. Liam hopped out of the truck, head slightly swirling. He steadied himself on the truck as his eyes slowly adjusted to the sight of Tom, Chris and Alex carrying baskets of food, towels and a duffel bag. He was about to offer help when Chris whispered something to his son and the boy came up running to him with his towel under his arm.

"Come Uncle Liam!" he quipped innocently. His hands slid into his and tugged him forward. The warmth emitting from Alex's hand soothed his slightly erratic mind. Liam let himself being pulled by his son, smiling as the boy turned and gestured to the stream ahead.

The creek was calm and peaceful despite the sweltering heat. There were benches along the stream and they set up there. Chris could only quirk up his eyebrows as he watched Tom unpack. "Did you pack for a platoon of starving soldiers or something?" Chris commented with a smirk on his face.

 Tom lined the juice boxes neatly before bringing his blue eyes to Chris'. "How can you have not realised how much the three of you eat? You three eat like a school of piranhas," he scoffed.

Chris shrugged but a wide grin had replaced the smirk. His bright blue eyes traced Liam and Alex at the other corner of the creek. "Thanks for bringing us here," Chris said gratefully. As much as he wanted to protect Alex, Liam had a right over him – a biological one. He couldn't deny that as much as he wanted to.

Tom nodded. "It's my job," he replied matter-of-factly. It was his duty – as a friend.

The previous night Tom realised this was his biggest job in his entire career. And most probably the only one. Ruby had told him that it was rare for several people in a family or a group to see them. It takes something drastic and in this case Tom could understand why. He was absolutely sympathetic to the Hemsworths but at the same time he was sure that they didn't want a pity party. So he decided to do his best in creating happy memories for them. For some reason, Tom felt like he was running out of time. He hated the way his guts twist when these thoughts ran across his mind.

Chris could only quirk up an eyebrow. "Your job?" he asked, still not understanding why Tom kept saying that. This stranger literally walked into their lives with no warning and suddenly made their lives better, holding the broken family together. He was grateful but at the same time, curious. "It's not your job, Tom... This is my family. Not that I'm ungrateful of all this.. Because I am..."  A hand snaked behind his neck, rubbing it as if to release the tension.  "Speaking of jobs… What do you work as?" Chris asked, earnestly. Out of the time they had known each other, Chris had never asked Tom what his occupation was.

Tom shrugged at the other's question. He was certain Chris still believed he was just like an ordinary human being when he's the exact opposite. "I work with people," stated Tom carefully.

"Customer service?" 

Tom took a moment to consider. "You can say that it is," he said carefully. "I make sure people are able to be happy and content. Be their friend if need be." Then he added, "If you get what I mean."

Chris glanced away to process what Tom had just said. It doesn't make sense somehow. Well the entire time Tom entered his life never made sense. The sudden appearance of this man into their lives was abrupt. Was this fate's way of saying he was living in his own bubble and needed someone just to talk to him? That was a rather depressing thought indeed. "Like a professional friend eh?" Then another provoking thought appeared in his mind – how the hell did this social worker find him?

Tom broke into a wide grin at Chris' unexpected epiphany. "Yes. A professional friend," Deep down inside, Tom knew Chris was just spouting the right words and didn't fully understand. Nevertheless, Tom would still take it. Better that than nothing. He let his lean body relax as he continued unpacking.

Meanwhile Liam and Alex were running along the bank of the stream. Liam chased Alex throwing leaves at his son causing the younger Hemsworth to squeak in delight before turning to do the same. They ran some more before Alex tripped and fell flat on his face.

“Are you okay?!” Liam half-shouted as he hurriedly came to Alex’s side. He heard a muffled cry and sob. Panic started to seep through his veins and Liam quickly turned the boy to face him. To his dismay Alex was faking his “injury”. His blue eyes were shining with a grin plastered on his face. “That’s not funny, Alex!”

“It is! You should have seen your face Uncle Liam! You were so scared!” Alex burst into a fit of giggles which was immediately silenced when Liam pulled him into his arms and hugged him tightly. There was a sudden surge to protect his only son and Liam could not fight it even though he was adamant not to show the boy how much he cared. He was just Uncle Liam to Alex. Nothing more, nothing less.

Alex wasn’t sure of what to feel when Liam grabbed him like that. He felt uncomfortable in the tight embrace but after a few seconds, Liam’s warmth reminded him of his mother’s. He felt safe and secure in the embrace – as if in Liam’s arms, all of the painful memories of his mother leaving him will be erased. Alex closed his blue eyes and listened to Liam’s heartbeat. It was strangely soothing. When Liam pulled away, he felt like there was a sudden loss.

“Have you ever thrown pebbles into a body of water before?” Liam asked with a joyful glint in his eyes. Alex shook his head. “We’re going to have a competition,” he said softly as if it was a huge secret and he was only divulging to Alex. “We’ll pick up the pebbles along the banks and throw them into the stream. The one with the furthest throw wins!”

For a moment Alex seemed pumped about the competition. As he scrambled back to his feet, racing nearer to the bank, he picked up a pebble to throw into the stream. He halted with his arm mid-air. “Uncle Liam, won’t we hurt the fishes?” he mused, pointing to the obvious fishes swimming in the clear stream.”

“Nah,” Liam dismissed him. “Fishes are clever! They can sense the pebble coming so they’ll swim away!”

“Are you sure?” Alex asked, unconvinced.

Liam nodded. “Unless you’re telling me that you want to lose to me!”

“NO WAY!”

From the spot they were at, Chris and Tom could hear Alex's happy cries together with Liam’s chuckles. A gentle smile had carved its way against Chris’ face as he  broke away from Tom, leaving him. He strode to his family with a warmth in his chest – one he hadn’t felt for some time now. It has been some time since he had heard Liam genuinely laughing and smiling. Yes. Before their father’s death – that was when.

“Dad look!” Alex cried out to Chris as he picked up a pebble and flung it with all of his might. The pebble plopped into the water and both of his fathers gave a cheer. “Now you try!” The young boy held out a pebble he took from near Liam’s feet and urged for Chris to take it. Smiling, Chris took the pebble, feeling its weight, how smooth the surface of the pebble is before taking an aim and flinging it across the bank.

“Dad! Not too hard! You’ll kill the fishes!” Alex cried out and both Chris and Liam chuckled. Despite the warm glow in his chest, Liam felt a small stab into his heart whenever Alex refer to Chris as his dad. The child was his, not Chris’ and yet he knew Chris – despite all he has done to his elder brother – was much more deserving of that title. A dad. He could feel a migraine coming on as he let his thoughts linger too much on the matter. Rubbing a hand onto his neck, Liam shook his head as if to shake off the migraine. But the beast refused its master’s command.

His line of sight began to blur.

His mind was shutting down.

Liam staggered his way to the bench before stumbling over a rock and landing flat on the ground with a thump.

“Uncle Liam!”

“Liam!”

All of them ran towards him, panic surging into their nerves, blanketing the atmosphere with an ominous bite.

“Liam?!” Chris cried as he turned his brother. “Liam? Speak to me!” His eyes were rolling back, his eye lids fluttered with confusion.

Tom lifted a hand and pressed gently against Liam’s forehead. “He’s cold,” Tom muttered under his breath.

By the time they hauled him back to the bench, Liam was swatting hands away, insisting that he was fine. “Stop touching me,” he growled at Chris before turning his attention to Tom. “I just need a drink. It’s fucking hot here.” Chris and Tom glared at him for using such language in front of Alex even though the youngest Hemsworth was used to it.

A small hand slithered its way to entangle its digits around Liam’s. “I hope you’re okay, Uncle Liam.”

“I’ll be okay, buddy.” Liam smiled weakly at Alex before pulling him close. “I’m fine.” 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is trying his best to make everything happy. But now he has questions... Questions he never thought he would dwell on.

They tried their best to make sure Liam was comfortable. When Chris wanted to go back home, Liam objected, citing that they will be wasting everyone's time and Alex wouldn't even experience half of what they were hoping for. Tom did his best to appear unaffected by Liam's fainting incident and luckily enough for the Hemsworths, Tom's positive attitude and high energy was infectious. Try as he might, but there will always be the tiniest flicker of fear that Liam will... He shook his head, trying to rid of his dark thoughts.

The younger Hemsworth brother knew the deliberate attempts orchestrated by Chris and Tom to make him feel comfortable. Although he'd love to frown and be angry with the both of them, Liam had no more energy left in him. He simply went along, smiling and laughing whenever he could.

There were no more accidents, Tom and Chris made sure Liam didn't have to move much to participate in any games. By the time the sun was beginning to set, all food and drinks were gone and their skins were glistening with perspiration. "What did I say about you three being a school of piranhas?!" Tom had remarked which warranted him chuckles and playful hitting on his arms, as he pointed to the empty baskets. The light breeze did help to cool their skin even though all of them felt the lethargy in their bones.

Once they clambered into the truck, Liam and Alex immediately fell asleep against one another. Soon their soft snores filled the vehicle. In a teasing manner, Tom prodded Alex in the arm to see if he will rouse from his slumber. "Yeah, he's a gonner."

Chris chuckled softly as he continued to stare ahead. "He's been running around like a young Indianna Jones, I have no doubts about it."

At the mention of Harrison Ford's most memorable character, Tom frowned. He found the reference familiar however he didn't quite understood it. Despite his lack of understanding, he kept mum and only decided to nod. He too was tired. Tom figured it was his first time having an enjoyable moment with the Hemsworths. A part of a family. He never knew how that felt until today. Truth be told, Tom had never identified himself to a particular group. Even in his line of work, they work individually. There was never a time two of his colleagues have to work together. They had always been on their own on the job. Tom wondered if being a part of a family gives one warm fuzzy feelings. _You're getting attached to them,_ he thought.

"Thank you," Chris sounded, interrupting Tom's thoughts. "For this... I really appreciate it."

Slightly startled, Tom recovered quickly. "You don't have to. I'm just doing my job."

"You keep saying as if it’s an obligation, as if you're being paid to do so." Chris glanced at Tom from the side as he made a left turn on the road. He was still perplexed at the fact that Tom thinks all of his doing is some sort of an employment.

But it is... _It is my job_. Tom bit his tongue before those words left his lips. Well, you can't exactly say that he was paid... Humans seem to have this idea that whatever they do, they must be compensated monetarily. Why is that? Why can't someone do something because they wanted to and because it makes a world a better place? There's still much Tom has to understand about the human/adult world. It’s a very strange world.

He shrugged before answering, "Chris, your family is important to me. Alex's well-being, Liam's, even yours, Chris." He genuinely cares for the Hemsworths. Especially Chris. Tom couldn't pin point why but it seems that without Chris, the very foundation of the unit seemed shaky. Tom is just there to make sure that foundation doesn't buckle under pressure.

Chris was silent when Tom's answer registered. Caring... It has been sometime since he thought about that very concept. Who did he care for? Liam and Alex of course. Did he care for Tom? He hit a dead end with that thought. Chris knew deep down, he was beginning to.

And that very idea scared him.

* * *

  
The next two weeks were harvesting weeks. The cornfield needed to be tended and Chris got up earlier than before to get sections of the field harvested before dusk. He only has himself to depend on since no one else knew how to work the tractor. Liam's condition itself excused him from helping his elder brother.

He did feel guilty. "You've been working non-stop," he remarked to Chris when he walked through the backdoor after safely parking the tractor in the shed. Liam had decided to cook dinner with Alex's help. It was the least he could do. His actions were chided by Chris at first but he managed to win the argument by being himself - ridiculously obstinate.

"It's my job, Liam," he resigned, plucking the fridge's door open and extracted a bottle of cold beer. "It has been for the past decade." They were too poor to afford college and this was the only thing he could do to get enough income.

"I know," Liam said, slightly resigned. "Plus no one has ever taught me how to drive a tractor." He arched a thick eyebrow before shooting Chris a playful smile.

"Not in this condition, Liam."

"When else?" Liam muttered, glancing away.

Chris opened his mouth to argue. But the dawning truth of what Liam had uttered weighed between them. "I just..."

"What? You're scared that I'll drop dead in the middle of the field?" His voice was slightly pitched even though he did his best to mask his disappointment.

Chris desperately wanted to say "Yes" but he didn't have the heart to.

"I'm not a fragile doll that you need to put in a glass casing, Chris."

"I'm sure Chris only wants the best for you."

Unknowing to both brothers, Tom was leaning against the doorframe leading to the hallway, listening to their conversation. "But if you truly want to," Tom hurriedly continued, "Then perhaps under the supervision of us both." It was the nest compromise he could think off. They had both agreed to make this... The time they've got to appease Liam. Tom met Chris' eyes and nodded slightly, as if to say that he got the blonde's back. Reluctantly, Chris relented.

"Fine," Liam agreed. "Besides, when else am I gonna get shepherded?" A wide grin had carved onto Liam's lips.

"You lil shit," Chris chuckled under his breath.

* * *

  
"Okay your right foot on the paddle," Chris instructed, frowning as Liam shifted his limb.

"Chris, I know how to drive," Liam countered, agitated.

"Yeah, a car. Not my tractor. So listen to me or you can get the fuck off."

Tom and Chris had been throwing ideas back and forth late last night – Liam was a hard soul to please and pitying him and treating him like a fragile doll was not a way to go. It seemed best for Chris to treat Liam like the brother he knew way before all of this mess happened – the time when they were just two brothers.

Liam sighed noisily and rolled his eyes. "What's the next step, captain?" he chirped sarcastically, saluting his elder brother.

Chris’ face must have looked like it was at the brink of bursting because the next thing they heard was, "No fighting!" Tom shouted about 10 metres away from them.

Both brothers waved him off as if he was an annoying fly that won't go away. Tom nursed his inner cheek as his cerulean hues observe the two brothers bicker over the tractor. He had the urge to knock their heads together but he remained passive instead. Their behaviour infuriates him and yet he found their chemistry interesting. He had never seen how the dynamics of siblings work – especially adult siblings. Most of the cases he handled didn't have siblings much less being adults.

Soon the engine roared to life as the gears in the tractor whirred and clanked. "Okay, now just like driving – apply pressure to the paddle and move forward." The vehicle moved along the field, harvesting the corn as they went along. Chris had a system on how to harvest the cornfield, going row by row.

From his position, Tom could still hear the two siblings bicker as they drove the tractor around the cornfield. Shaking his head, helpless, he started to drift away from his post, going towards the tractor without realising it. His long fingers traced the top of the crops, feeling them tickle his fingers and palm. It proved to be soothing. He thought about the days he had spent with the Hemsworths, what he had learnt from all of his experience – the bitter and the sweet, the warnings from Ruby on getting too attached to this family and the fact that he may have developed some emotions beyond than just ‘caring for a friend’. Tom didn’t realise the clanking noise was getting louder. He gets so lost in his own thoughts sometimes.

"Tom! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Jolted out of his own train of thoughts, Tom jerked away, running in time to escape the oncoming noisy tractor. . "Look where you're going!" he shouted, shaking a fist at the brothers who laughed as they passed him by. His blue hues stared at the corn plants which he had just touched a few seconds ago; crumble out of sight – underneath the tractor and later appearing at the back of the tractor.

"A cornfield isn't the place to daydream, Tommy boy," Liam chortled. At that Chris promptly slapped his arm as if to say 'Stop it'.

Tom kept himself mum, grumbling to himself wordlessly. Wait, what? Why was he suddenly moody? He had never been one to be moody. Tom was always full of positive energy – infectious positive energy. He shook his head as if to get rid of the negativity in his being.

"You're doing good, Liam." Chris’s word brought Liam’s attention back into the tractor.

There was a beat of silence as all mischievous thoughts were erased. 

"Thanks, Chris." 

4 words and it was enough to make Liam's heart heavier and ache. There was so much he wanted to say to Chris. He knew apologising won’t do any good. He had done everything harmful towards his elder brother and yet here they are – working together. Chris shot him a warm, reluctant smile before looking ahead. Liam shifted his attention to what was in front of him and immediately hit the brakes. They jerked to a stop. "What the–“

Chris gave Liam a puzzled look. "The hell?"

The younger brother shook his head. "I want Tom to try." Chris didn't answer - perhaps he was too stunned by Liam's suggestion. Sticking his head out of the tractor, Liam shouted, "Hey Tom! You wanna drive this thing?" Chris could only sigh and try to understand why Liam was this impulsive.

Tom's brows creased together before he arched an eyebrow and pointed a finger to his own chest. "Me?!" He'll be breaking so many rules operating a vehicle again.

Liam looked around and feigned an offended look. "I don't see anyone whose name is Tom other than you!" He snorted lightly before glancing at Chris sideways.

Giving Liam a derisive look as he approached, Tom muttered, "Well, sorry for being born." As soon as the words left the tip of his tongue, they stumped him. He wasn't too sure why he said it though. And then the epiphany smacked him like a flying meteorite – He couldn't remember having birthday parties... wait! Did he even have a birthday? His brows creased even further. Those questions have to wait.

Liam arched an eyebrow at Tom’s response before shaking head and hopped off the tractor. “All yours, buddy.” He patted the other on the shoulder, before taking a position away from the tractor. Liam folded his arms as Tom clambered into the tractor beside his elder brother. As Tom nervously took instructions from Chris, Liam continued watching them. The tractor chugged along the fields again, this time with an excited half-shout, half-squeal by Tom. Throwing his head back to laugh, Liam watched the tractor move with a big grin on his face.

He wouldn’t lie of course – whenever he is in a vehicle, he gets excited. He was clearly breaking rule number 10. This was not an emergency nor was it in a no-choice situation. Tom did have a choice to walk away and refuse Liam’s request. A fleeting thought of guilt for breaking the rules crossed his mind but it was gone as quickly as it could.

“Is your hand shaking?” Chris noted, eyeing Tom’s slightly trembling left hand on the gear.

“Wha – I…. I get like that when I get excited,” Tom said, trying to not show his nervousness too much.

Without even suspecting it, Chris right hand covered his left. The warmth emitting from his palm soothed Tom’s nerves somehow. Chris squeezed it lightly as he guided Tom to shift to another gear. “I’m here,” he muttered. He glanced at Tom, catching him stare at their hands.

“Thank you,” Tom mumbled, feeling his ears getting hot. His heart was thundering against his chest and it skipped a beat at random moments. He wished Chris’s hand would move away but it didn’t.

When it finally did, they had gone through three rows of the field. Liam took over before winking at Tom. That action sent Tom flustered.

Tom left the Hemsworths’ residence after dinner, walking along the road leading to… nowhere in particular. Today had left him with a thousand questions. They ran helter-skelter around his mind, scrambling his thoughts which were usually coherent and rational. He didn’t like it when he couldn’t think logically. The questions kept jabbing him like an annoying needle pricking his skin. He thought about his own emotions, his reactions to the little things Chris did and whether or not he has a birthday.

At that very final thought, Tom halted in his steps. His brows creased in the middle of his forehead yet again. Looking up at the night sky, the stars twinkled down at him. Usually their beauty would help calm him down. But… tonight was different.

It had always been about his friends.

Always.

It was never about him.

It has **_never_** been about him, Tom realised. There was a certain kind of hollowness in his heart at that sudden realisation. He had never questioned his existence up till now. Today was the first time he had thought about whether or not he has a birthday. It was the first time he had felt his heart skipped a beat and did a somersault in his chest.

He needed answers. And Pudemaerd always has them.

* * *

 

He arrived at the headquarters, just in time before Ruby left her office.

“Tom! Come in,” Ruby gestured him to get inside. She was wearing her favourite purple robes with a light golden belt in the middle of her torso. Ruby’s hair was gathered in a long side braid with its end cascading down over her left shoulder. “And what brings you here at this hour, love?” Ruby noticed the worry on Tom’s face.

Tom settled down on the swivel chair on the opposite side of her desk. He has always felt too big in this dainty office. Tom sat very still, unlike the usual restless moves of shifting left to right and back to left again. He eyed the delicate china lining up her walls before speaking, “Ruby, do we have birthdays?”

The question was strange of course but it wasn’t the incredulity of the question that strike Ruby dumbfounded, it was the tone of his voice. Tom sounded wounded, confused and desperate. Ruby grew much more concerned as she struggled to find the words to form her sentence.

“We don’t, Tom.” When she uttered those words, Ruby couldn’t meet Tom’s piercing gaze.

Her answer only left him much more helpless and lost. “Why not?”

“Tom… We’re not like humans,” Ruby said gently.

“What are we then?”

“We’re imaginary friends. You should know that by now, love. We don’t procreate. We were not born out of a womb. We don’t grow old. We don’t die. We just simply exist.” Ruby sighed heavily before adding, “Unlike humans.”

“Right,” that was all he could manage. “Are we immortals then?” Tom asked, genuinely interested.

It took a moment for Ruby to answer that question. “I don’t know,” she concluded, unsure of herself. “Tom…. Tom, why are you asking these questions?” For as long as she could remember, Ruby has never thought these questions would arise – for she herself couldn’t pinpoint when did she begin or even come to existence. Ruby had lived through so many ages of men. She had seen them go to war… countless of wars. She had seen them discover seas and lands. She had seen men discovering the treasures of the Earth. She had seen them all and yet she didn’t know how she came into existence either.

Tom shrugged, meeting Ruby’s concerned eyes. “I made a snide remark to Liam today,” he admitted, feeling guilty. They were discouraged to be sarcastic to their friends. It wasn’t healthy. “I said, ‘Well, sorry for being born.’ I didn’t know what made me say that.” Tom eyed his fingers as he recounted, “And then I…. simply tried to recollect my earliest memories…..”

Ruby nodded, waiting for Tom to continue his train of thoughts out loud. “Yes?”

“ And I couldn’t… Could you?” His blue eyes were filled with hope and wonder. Perhaps if Ruby could, she could teach him how to.

“Neither could I.”

His heart plummeted at her answer. “I can’t even remember meeting you for the first time Ruby.”

“I did,” Ruby replied softly. “I remember it was just after English had suffered defeat from the Hundred Years war with France. I had just lost a friend during the war and when I came back, there you were. You appeared at the entrance of this very headquarters. And you were confused. I remember you asking me where are you at and I answered, ‘Where you’re supposed to be.’” Ruby smiled wistfully at Tom.

“I… I don’t..”

“No one remembers how we end up here in Pudemaerd, Tom. We just simply arrive here and did our work – befriending the human race and directing them to the less lonely path.”

The revelations brought more questions to Tom’s mind. They tumbled and whirred in his head, like restless beasts. “That’s sad isn’t it?” he mused. He was worlds away by now, deep in his own thoughts. “To not know where you came from? You just simply exist and life takes its own course.”

Ruby gulped, not knowing what to say. “Tom, I think its best you let it rest. What is the point of trying to look back and question things you know you have no answers for?”

Tom didn’t reply her immediately. It bothered him – to a very great extent. “No point at all, all there is to do is to look forward,” he answered reluctantly.

“Exactly.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being much more angsty and feelsy than I intended it to be. But I enjoyed writing it so much :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow. I know I really delayed this chapter for two months! I’m so sorry about that. School started for me and it kicked my butt. This chapter is introducing a new character and also an insight to Liam’s character in the story. The chapter was longer than I expected but heeey, it’s here! Enjoy. Also, I welcome any feedback :)

The revelations made by Ruby a few days ago were still lingering in Tom’s mind. He was quieter than usual, watching the Hemsworths under a blue gaze. It did not go unnoticed.

Almost all of the corn has been harvested. The next thing to do is to find the right buyer. Tom was sitting at the back porch whilst watching Chris and Liam work on the field still. He was too deep in his thoughts that when Alex plonked right beside him, Tom didn’t even turn to say “Hey.”

"You’ve been really quiet, Tom. Are you okay?" 

Snapped back to reality, Tom drew a deep breath before shifting his attention to the youngest Hemsworth. He was so focused on Liam and Chris getting along… and himself that he had forgotten the very person who had brought them all altogether. “Hey buddy.”

Alex tugged on his sleeves. “You didn’t answer my question,” he reminded Tom. “You never forget,” he muttered. Concern coloured his young blue eyes. He sighed and gazed at the fields ahead.

Alex’s words stung. “I’m really sorry, Alex,” Tom hastily said, placing a hand at the small of his back. “I’ve just… been thinking a lot.”

"You have a lot in mind like Uncle Liam?" pondered Alex, referring to their conversation two months ago on how Liam seemed to be spacing out often. It seemed as if it was a lifetime ago for Tom. He slowly nodded even though he knew it wasn’t the same. Liam was losing his memories whereas he was… plagued with thoughts of his very own existence.

“Uncle Liam is sick isn’t he?” Alex implored out of the blue. Those very words struck Tom as his insides shrivelled and froze.

“How ––“

“Really?” Alex raised his voice, facing Tom from the side. “Uncle Liam forgets in the middle of a hide and seek game! He just stalks off and just take a nap. And then he faints! The one at the creek was not the only one right?”

Tom’s cerulean hues stared back at Alex’s. He was foolish to think that the boy was too young to even realise what has been happening. “Alex… Your uncle and father….”

“Both of them thought it’s better if you lie to me?” The disbelief in Alex’s voice filled the air between them with tension.

There was a beat of silence. Then, a resigned sigh.

“Of course not,” Tom said. “They’re trying to protect you. We’re trying to protect you.”

Alex’s brows creased. “It’s not protecting when one lies.”

At Alex’s mature words, Tom raised his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. This 8 year old… He had grown so much without Tom realising it.

“You’ll understand soon enough.”

“That means I’ll know soon?”  Tom nodded at Alex’s prediction. “Then why delay it? Might as well you tell me now,” Alex said stubbornly. His face was growing hot and he could tell his face was red.

“It’s not my place to tell you. You should ask your uncle or your father. It’s much more appropriate,” Tom coaxed, trying hard to appease Alex.

“Right,” said Alex, as if defeated. His shoulders slumped forward as he placed his elbows to his knees and cupped his chin in his palm.

“I’m really sorry, Alex,” Tom apologised sincerely, brushing the boy’s fine hair.

“I know. I’m sorry too.”

——-

It was routine – after a day’s work in the fields, Chris would unwind after dinner at the back porch. He’ d sit on the lawn chair with his feet propped up on the balustrade and a beer in hand. Tonight however, he was joined by Liam. Tom had mysteriously disappeared after dinner and Alex insisted that he was too tired to stay up and watch the television.

Downing a bottle in only 3 gulps, Liam grabbed for another and popped its cap.

"Thirsty eh?" Chris lamented, cocking an eyebrow at his brother. They had done great progress on the field today despite the bickering and the arguments. Even though Chris was irritated by the fact that Liam was always there to question him and go the opposite way, he realised he had enjoyed today’s work - for the very first time.

Canting his head to the side, Liam cocked an eyebrow. Of course he was thirsty! Look at the weather! “Are you living in a cold season now?” Liam countered. “The night is warm, the air is humid, don’t tell me the sweat on your neck is because of cold weather.” Liam snorted through his nostrils as he shot Chris a derisive look.

"Liam, you’re lucky I am exhausted to my bones. Or you would find my fist hitting your throat by now." Despite the threatening words, Chris’ face betrayed them all. He was grinning from ear to ear with his bright blue eyes twinkling.

The corner of Liam’s lips turned down deliberately. “Then I’m a lucky duck. Lucky, lucky duck.”

At Liam’s ridiculous reply, both brothers erupted with laughter. The last time they had spent time together like this- just the two of them - was more than a decade ago. Before Coraline happened. Before their parents left them without warning. The realisation slowly dawned on Chris and Liam as they both took a swig off their beers.

Silence filled the space between them for a while until Liam broke it. “So… you and Tom,” he started, immediately feeling uncomfortable on broach this subject. He was still uncertain of how he viewed them both but seeing Chris’ face plastered with a smile that could light up the whole town was rather uplifting. “How’s that going?”

"Whatever do you mean?" Chris implored back, taking another gulpful of beer.

"Oh come on Chris. Don’t play dumb with me. It’s weird to me yeah but don’t tell me there’s nothing going on between you two. How long have you been dating?"

A spray of beer mixed with spit landed on Liam’s face. He yelped, slapping Chris’ rock hard arm while another hand wiped his face. “Jesus fucking Christ!!” 

"Dating?!" Chris roared, surprised by Liam’s accusation. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, shaking his head vigorously.

"You always have a flair for drama, brother," Liam chuckled. "And don’t do that," he said, mimicking Chris’ bulging eyes, "You look like a goldfish." Liam’s hands covered Chris’s blue hues which not only earned him a shove but also bubbles of laughter. He stumbled back, regaining balance with the help of the bannister.

"You lil shit." Chris sniffed, holding out his hands to ensure that Liam didn’t fall. "Why would you say that?! Tom’s just a friend."

"Uh huh."

"He is!"

"Yeah I heard you."

"Just a friend."

"That’s what they all say."

"Liam, I am warning you," Chris growled even though the twinkle in his eyes was betraying his own words.

"Now you’re just being very defensive which really suggests he’s more." The statement earned Liam another playful slap on his bicep.

Is he though? Is Tom just a friend to them? To him? He was more than that. He was Chris’ confidante, a shoulder to cry on when things get too difficult. Like a rock for him to cling onto when waves of destruction threaten to sweep him away. But Chris didn’t know what to label him.

"He’s an honorary Hemsworth," Chris declared firmly, which sent Liam snorting.

"Should he change his last name to ours then? You know, there are other ways on doing that. It involves a minister and a city hall though and flowers. Yep. Definitely flowers," Liam replied, implying a marriage should happen instead.

"Liam, no! How many times must I – I never knew his last name," Chris’ tone changed dramatically at the sudden realisation.

"He never told you?" Liam mused before taking another swig of his beer.

Chris shook his head. “No… I didn’t ask either.”

"You should work on your dating skills, big brother."

 _Dating_. That very term was foreign to Chris. He had never thought of it when Coraline passed nor did he ever consider it. Or perhaps he was accustomed to the fact that it must involve a man and a woman. Living in Nebraska meant that anything other than heterosexual relations, you’re scum of society. Chris had never believed that one is always stuck in one place. If you are attracted to a person be it a man or a woman or even a genderqueer, then you should be attracted for personality. But he had never tried to make sense the chemical reactions in his brain.

Silence fell between the two brothers. None of them attempted to speak for some time. Instead they just watched the night sky, drinking their beers - content with each other’s silent company whilst thinking how their lives had changed ever since Liam returned.

It was some time before Chris broke the wall of silence. “Why though?” he asked curiously, “Why did you assume we were dating?”

"The way you two act around each other," Liam muttered, shrugging. "I don’t know… I know I’m always the ignorant jackass who has no emotions, Chris. But I’m…. just trying to understand."

Understand? How could he possibly understand when Chris, himself doesn’t? “I don’t know myself,” Chris said to the floor, swirling his beer around. But it was a big gesture from Liam. He was always the younger brother, the one Chris has to protect, the one Chris always quarrel with, the one destine to irritate him forever till… The blonde shook his head, clearing out those daunting thoughts. A small smile had carved onto his lips as he met Liam’s eyes. “I don’t expect you to understand what’s going on with me.”

"It’s the way you are with him," Liam said thoughtfully, looking at the dark fields ahead.   
Chris looked at him pointedly, urging Liam to elaborate.

The younger brother sighed, shifting his position before answering, “Chris, I haven’t seen you this happy ever since….” Liam couldn’t remember when he had seen Chris this comfortable and at ease with someone else. His voice was soft this time round as he spoke, “Even when Coraline was around, you didn’t seem to exist together seamlessly. You and Tom though… you guys did.”

 The crease in Chris brows were back. He hadn’t given himself much thought lately. It was always about Alex or Liam. Everyone else but himself. He just didn’t have time to do so. “Seamlessly?” Chris was confused.

 ”I don’t know,” Liam admitted. “You two reminded me of mom and dad somehow.” Liam laughed at the comparison. But truly, both Tom and Chris had taken care of him like a set of parents. “Remember mom and dad? Even when they’re not speaking… They just knew what the other was thinking. They complimented each other,” Liam mused ruefully.

 He had felt safe in Tom’s and Chris’ hands and Liam knew it was unfair of him to judge them so misogynistic the first time round. “That’s how you both are. You two just make a good pair. That’s all I’m saying. And if it’s just some bromance thing going on, then okay. If it’s more romantic than that, I’m okay with it too.” Liam decided he just wanted Chris to be happy. His brother had been the opposite spectrum of happiness for far too long.

 Chris shrugged, keeping himself mum. “Yeah, okay.” He finished his beer before opening another bottle. “I never thought about it but… I…” he shrugged again, unsure of what to say. He wondered what would happen if Tom hadn’t come into their lives. Chris could see that this talk he has with Liam would probably ever happen. He’d probably have killed his younger brother. Everything seemed to be too happenstance in this case.  _The universe is either being too kind or lazy._ Chris decided that good luck was on his side.

 For now.

 —

The headquarters or also known as Pudemaerd is not just a normal office building. It serves as an community estate complete with the facilities needed for imaginary friends to equip themselves before going out to the world and be a good friend. Every floor in the building has a different purpose. The uppermost floor served as an administrative office and at the edge of it, Ruby’s office.

 The first few floors served as a school where friends could learn and understand their objectives and purposes in this line. The 5th floor is the wardrobe department. Here is where every single piece of clothing one can ever imagine exists. Of course to keep up with the evolving world, clothes have to be changed in order for imaginary friends to appear normal to their human counterparts. Despite the constant change, there is a small section where the wardrobers kept certain pieces of clothes that were deemed to be scared and a “treasure”. This section acts like a museum.

 Usually friends stick to a set of clothes and footwear. These sets are usually provided in numerous numbers since friends can only function best in them. However in special cases where their counterparts are adults or teenagers, friends do find themselves in other sets of clothing. This is why Tom has found himself in the wardrobe department several times a week.

 Tom was in fact one of the most prominent friends in this community but never the topic of discussion among fellow friends. It had changed ever since his involvement with the Hemsworths. His case was hot topic — till the amateur friends knew his name and constant ogling would happen if Tom were to walk pass them. He thought this was odd behaviour. Such gossipy behaviour was prominent in human societies and it had influenced how the friends function as well. Thus, Tom had decided that he should just let it be rather than being annoyed or angry. He never liked being negative and found it very draining and stressful.

 ”You’ve been choosing nicer clothes lately,” noted Serena, one of the wardrobe managers, as she held up a shirt Tom had picked earlier. She had been taking care of Tom’s wardrobe for as long as he could remember. Serena reminded Tom of Ruby. In fact she looked like Ruby. He wondered if there was any chance that they were sisters. “Are you dressing up for someone, darling?”

 Taken aback by the assumption, Tom frowned, shaking his head vigorously. “No ma’am.”

 The elder woman laughed, waving her hand nonchalantly at Tom. “I’m just teasing you, love. But if you are….” she got quiet at the end, giving Tom a concerned look, “You know our kind can’t get involved with the humans.”

 ”I know the limitations, Serena,” Tom assured her, patting the woman’s arms.

 Does he? The very question made him uncomfortable. He put on the shirt, buttoned it before smoothing the fabric against his torso.

 ”Good… Now well would you look at that? Even with a simple shirt and jeans you look like a million bucks,” she chortled, admiring how the clothes had fitted on Tom. He had always been a handsome bloke. Many teased that if he were to ever work with adults, an adult would have fallen for him without a doubt. No one knew why Ruby had assigned him to work with children but everyone had assumed that it was for this reason. 

He thanked Serena as he donned a pair of sneakers before leaving the wardrobe department.

 It was unusual for an experienced friend to loiter around the headquarters for long unless there was a report meeting. Tom made his way towards the exit of the headquarters, humming softly to himself.

 ”Tom!” a voice called out to him.

 His cerulean hues flicked up turning around to search for the caller. “Zachary!” A smile carved upon Tom’s lips as he approached his colleague. He looked just like when they had met during the monthly cases report meeting. The two hugged.

 ”Zachary, my friend, I haven’t seen you around much!”

 ”How many times must I insist that you call me Zach? We’ve been busy, both of us,” Zach shrugged. He glanced down to the floor, wringing his hands together which made Tom curious as to why he behaved that way.

 ”Is everything alright, Zachar- I meant Zach? Sorry.. it’s a habit.” Tom asked, concern colouring his tone.

 ”I… I’m alright,” Zach replied hastily with his eyes glued to the floor. He seemed troubled.

 ”Well if there’s nothing else, I better get going.” He walked passed his colleague, giving him a good-natured smile.

 ”Tom! Wait! I—”

 Tom whirled around again with brows raised.

 ”I need a favour to ask of you.”

 ”What is it?”

 ”I know…” Zach rubbed his face, “I know I should have told you this earlier before…” His eyes were back on the floor as he shifted from one foot to another. “I heard about Liam Hemsworth… one of your cases?” Zach paused and took in a shuddering breath, willing himself to be strong. “Can I see him?” The words came out soft, barely audible. He could see Tom was surprised with his request. “I heard he had cancer and… he’s at a critical stage…”

 Tom nodded, coming closer to Zach. “Yes…”

 ”I was his friend once when he was a teenager.” There. He said it. It wasn’t too hard wasn’t it?

 Tom’s eyes widened. “You were?! How come you didn’t tell me?”

 ”I didn’t realise until the other friends were gossiping and I… I was desperate to find you around here. Please Tom? Can I see him?”

 Is that why Liam could see him? Because he once had an imaginary friend? But… no. Humans see them because they need friends. Not because of past experience. It was, however,  extraordinary — to have someone who needs imaginary friends twice in his life.

 ”Do you have a case to work on right now?”

 ”No. Not as of now which is why I really want to see him. I’m not sure if he can see me.. but.. I just thought of seeing him before anything else happens.”

  _Before anything else happens…_  Heaviness had settled in Tom’s chest as he was reminded of the situation at hand. He was too caught up being philosophical, his confusing feelings towards Chris and helping the family have happy memories. He had momentarily forgotten about Liam’s condition.

 ”Of course you can,” Tom replied softly, beckoning Zach to join him.

 ”I’m not sure if he can see me…” Zach muttered nervously.

 ”I don’t know either. I’ve never heard anyone seeing two friends at one time,” Tom mused, shrugging.

 ”It doesn’t matter,” Zach decided. “I just want to see how he’s doing.”

 ”Afraid that I had been mistreating him?” Tom asked, pretending to be offended. He hoped it would lighten up the mood.

 Zach laughed, shaking his head. “No… of all people… I knew he’d be in good hands because it’s you.”

 ”Thank you. That’s quite a compliment.”

 ”No… thank you… for taking care of Liam.”

 They walked silently to their destination before Tom, always the chattier friend, broke the silence. “If you don’t mind me asking…” a hand combed through his short hair. “When did you befriend Liam?”

 Zach pursed his lips as he thought about it. “Hhmmm he was about 17? That was about less than a decade ago…  Why?”

 ”I thought he saw you when he was much younger…. but as a teenager… wow.”

 ”Teenagers are lonelier than you think, Tom. You handled one before right?” Zach asked, jamming his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

 ”Well… I had one case where he’s 12 going to 13,” Tom offered.

 ”Neh. Pre-teens. They’re easier to handle. But teenagers are a force to be reckoned with.” Zach laughed at his own statement, shaking his head. “Be glad you didn’t and won’t handle them, my friend.”

 ”They can’t be as confusing as adults can they?” Tom countered, curious.

 His question was met with laughter. “Ohohoho. You do not want a teenager messing with you. Ever changing mood swings, raging hormones… Wait till they bear grudges. That’s when the bitch talking comes.”

 Tom cringed at the inappropriate use of language. “They sound like a pregnant woman,” Tom quipped even though he had never befriended a pregnant lady before but a colleague told him of those symptoms one would have. They seemed troublesome but they couldn’t help it due to chemical reactions in their biology.

 Zach shrugged with a grin on his face. “I’m just saying. Sometimes I feel like changing speciality… maybe be like you, you know? Handling kids. But I have become accustomed to my job.”

 Tom nodded. “Children have their own set of problems. And adults aren’t any easier,” he admitted.

 ”I figured,” Zach sympathised. “So… why did you ask about Liam?”

 ”Oh! I was curious. I knew he was a troublesome teenager back in the day according to Chris… His elder brother,” he explained, folding his arms.

 ”Ah… Chris…. Do they still live in that farm house? I have spent almost a year in that house. Really cosy and their parents make the best pancakes!”

 Tom could see the excitement in Zach’s brown hues. It wasn’t often for a friend to revisit their old cases. It’s like reliving a memory — happy ones especially. “Yes they are,” Tom replied, feeling warmth spreading in his chest as Zach mentioned the pancakes. “Chris makes delectable ones… I guess he inherited the recipe.” At the thought of him sitting in the corner watching Chris cooking breakfast caused Tom to flush.

 ”You okay?” Zach asked before the sight of the farm caught his attention. “Wow. Nothing has changed… Except for that swing set at the back.”

 ”I love that swing set,” Tom chirped, with a slight bounce in his steps, forgetting about his flushed state. “They should be inside, come on!”

 ”Wait!”

 Tom whirled around to see Zach rooted to the ground. His face was slightly pale. “What would I do or say?” he asked meekly.

 Raising his brows and then creasing them, Tom pointed out, “Erm I don’t think they can see you, Zach.”

 ”You sure?”

 ”Yeah,” Tom assured him. “Even if they do… We’re not supposed to be nervous.”

 ”I know,” Zach replied, feeling his insides cringing.

 As usual Tom bounced up the steps leading to the front door and knocked.

 He spent the day as per usual, checking in with Chris on how Liam is, playing with Alex at the swing set, bantering with Liam till he falls asleep on his deck chair at the back porch. Tom did all those with Zach watching them from a distance. At the end of the day, Tom made an excuse to leave earlier than the usual.

 The sun had set, plunging the town into darkness, save for the lights emitting from the Hemsworths’ house and a few lightings around the farm area. The cicadas were singing their love song. It was this time of the night where Tom really appreciated the countryside. It was quiet… comforting and at some points, lonely.

 ”Hey,” Tom quipped, waving to him.

 Zach’s eyes flickered up towards Tom when he saw his colleague approaching him. “Hi,” Zach replied with his face wistful.

 ”You okay?” Tom asked, patting Zach’s shoulder. He had wanted to include Zach in his conversation with Liam earlier but it proved that Liam couldn’t see Zach at all.

 ”I’m just happy he’s surrounded by people who love him,” Zach said quietly as he started walking away from the house.

 Tom remained silent, knowing Zach wants to say some more.

 ”He used to hate his whole family, you know?” Zach started gazing into a distance as he relived the past. “He had hated Chris the most… I met him when he lost Coraline. He was so hurt… so broken.”

 ”But you were there for him right?”

"Yeah…" Zach sounded reluctant when he answered with his eyes glued onto the ground. “I was there mainly because I knew if he hadn’t seen me in time, Chris would be seriously injured… or worst, dead.”

Love and jealousy are weird things, thought Tom. They make human beings act erratically without reason. They were driven by a cold-blooded passion with no sense of morality. It bothered Tom.

“After a year, Liam decided it was too much for him, seeing the love of his life happy with his brother… So he dropped out of high school, packed his bags and left the farm. By the time he reached Vegas, he made new friends… bad company mostly and since he didn’t need me anymore, he couldn’t see either.” Zach sounded so disappointed in himself. “I got a scolding from Ruby. I should have coaxed him to reconcile with Chris then and resolve the matter, but Liam is stubborn… I’m sure you would know.”

Tom nodded. He had never met someone as determined and stubborn like Liam. The man has some strong will in him.

“I couldn’t help when someone decides to close me off. Plus he really believed at the fact that I was an imaginary friend,” Zach admitted.

It wasn’t often when a human believes that they are imaginary friends. “I told him and he tested it out with his friends. He thought he was going crazy because he was the only one seeing me and not others… and… Liam is not… well for the lack of a better word, pleasant when he is angry.” Zach shrugged, reliving the very day when Liam threw a tantrum at him and grew frustrated when Zach tried to calm him down. “He remains the only case that was considered… unresolved.”

Tom cringed. Unresolved cases are the ones which will land them in troubled waters. “And you never saw him since?”

Zach reluctantly nodded, still averting Tom’s gaze. “Until now… And still he doesn’t see me. But then again, he found a new friend.” At his last few words, Zach smiled longingly.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Tom who had mirrored his actions. “Please promise me, you’ll take care of him?”

“Zach— I—“

“Promise me,” Zach insisted.

Hesitating, Tom shifted his weight from side to side. It’s his obligation to make Liam as comfortable as possible. “I promise.”

“Good,” Zach nodded before bumping his fist lightly on Tom’s shoulder. “Good,” he repeated. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie comes to visit. Tom discovered something he had feared all along and so does Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update. Sorry for the long absence since school was kicking my butt. I am currently on summer holidays so expect regular updates! =D

Liam was never fond of thinking too much. Mulling over things and dwelling on them was very tiring to him and even though he has the habit of doing just that, he disliked it.

But he couldn't help himself.

He saw what he saw and it shocked him to the core. He thought it was over. That part of his life was over. So why is it haunting him now? Or was he just hallucinating? It was a possibility. This cancer had been nothing but a nuisance – replaying memories from the past and making it all hurt. But... if they were images from the past, why was it interacting with the present?

Then it'd prove that he wasn't hallucinating. 

Those questions tumbled and whirred around his mind ceaselessly, keeping him up at night. Despite slumber hooking its tendrils to pull him under, Liam didn't succumb to it. He laid awake the entire time, hating himself for thinking about the situation over and over again, without any definite answer to it.

And by the time he decided to get to the bottom of this, sun rays had peeked beneath the curtains, creeping into the room.

* * *

  
It had been a long month for all of them. So many changes and Ellie felt as if she hadn't heard or seen Chris for some time despite him dropping Alex at her house on and off. So when she was finally granted an off day from work, Ellie thought she would drop by with Luke instead of the other way round. Unbuckling her seat belt, the brunette clambered out of her battered car.

"Hey you," Ellie greeted Chris, who beamed at her with his brows knitted.

"Ellie, hey! This is out of the ordinary," Chris noted, gesturing at the fact that she was out of her car. Usually when she drops Luke off, she'd remain in the car before driving off almost immediately.

Ellie decided that Chris' wide beam was infectious because she could feel her own lips curling up pleasantly.

"Nah, I have an off day after like... eons. The pursuit of money is not a pleasant ride," she said, jamming her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "And I thought I'd come and see you and the boys." She winced slightly, "I'm not disturbing you aren't I?"

"Gosh no!" Chris quickly interjected, "I'm not onto anything now, so your company is welcomed." He gestured towards the house and Ellie followed his lead. "And I do agree. It's infuriating when money is everything."

He looked radiant somehow – as if there was no problem or burden he had to carry on his shoulders. Ellie noticed how easily he smiled too. Or perhaps she just caught him in a good mood.

"So all the corn harvested?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders towards the fields which are now bare.

 

"Yeah. Finished it all up a week ago and today my regular buyer took all of it." The wide smile was still plastered on his face as they climbed the short flight of stairs to reach the porch. "Which is why you see me smiling like a loon." Chris rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, signifying he now has a pocketful.

Ellie laughed, making a face. "Well then, if your pocket is loaded, you should do some treating, you know," Ellie teased again.

Grinning at her, "I can always treat you to pizza."

"Pizza?! That's it?" Ellie feigned being offended.

"Pizza is everything," Chris said, pretending to be adamant about it before laughing. "Be patient and the treating will come."

 _His good mood is infectious_ , Ellie thought. This was the Chris she had known when Coraline was still alive – happy and charming. There was a certain boyish quality to him when a smile is a permanent fixture on his handsome face. Somehow Ellie knew it was more than just money that had put him in this context.

Chris led her to the kitchen and grabbed the hot pot of coffee ready on the counter, "Coffee?"

"Yes, please." Ellie settled down on one of the chairs as Chris handed her a steaming mug. "How are your boys, Chris?"

Sky blue hues flicked towards the woman in front of him whilst still blowing his hot mug of coffee. Chris put it down with a lazy smile spread across his face crookedly. "My boys? Are you referring to Liam as my son now?" His tone was coloured with light amusement as he met Ellie's gaze.

She chuckled, shaking her head as she put down her own mug of coffee. "Might as well be," she teased, winking in the process. "You three look well," Ellie concluded.

"We are," Chris agreed before he took another gulp of coffee. I hope we stay this way.

They could hear the delighted squeals of Alex and Luke from the swing set outside.

"How is Liam though? Still against treatments?" Ellie asked carefully. She knew she was teetering on a tight rope here. Although she regretted her words the second she asked.

Chris took his time to mull over that question. His gaze was now trained on the two young boys playing on the swing set. "It's his life," Chris said, sotto voce. "I have no say." He took another mouthful of coffee, letting the bittersweet liquid quench his sudden thirst.

"I know," Ellie resigned, exhaling through her nostrils. Chris' words echoed through her, tugging heavily in her chest.

Her eyes were trained on the blonde man opposite her as he took a seat. "It's Stage 4, Ellie. The cancer has spread to his vital organs. There's no way out now. Only to medicate his pain if he experienced it."

Shock gripped her being as Chris spoke of Liam's condition. "Stage..." she managed, not able to utter another word except for, "I.... I'm so sorry, Chris. I really am." Ellie reached across the table to squeeze his hand to give him comfort despite knowing it was futile.

"I am too."

They let silence settled in between them, both watching their sons having the time of their life, swinging up and down. Eventually she let go of his hand, reclining back to her seat. Ellie was grateful that she had bumped into Chris. Luke seemed happier and she has one thing less to worry about.

"I couldn't do it without Tom," Chris admitted out of the blue as he sipped his coffee.

When Ellie raised her eyebrows at him, Chris repeated, "Yeah, Tom, your ex, Luke's dad?"

"My ex?" Ellie cocked an eyebrow, giving Chris a questioning look. "Chris, unless this Tom is a ginger..." Chris promptly shook his head. "Because you know, Luke's dad is a ginger but his name was Ian. I don't have an ex named Tom. Luke's dad isn't a Tom."

This time, Chris' brows were the ones knitted. "But... he..." he closed his gaping mouth, frowning. Logic dictated his mind. How could Ellie and Tom? Neither are ginger have a kid with flaming red hair?!

"Isn't Tom, the name of Alex's imaginary friend?" Ellie prompted, suddenly interested to know the coincidence. Who is this Tom? Was he the one who made Chris happier?

Chris took a moment for the realisation to sink in. His eyes widened slightly before he averted Ellie's gaze. His mind raced, backtracking to the day he first met Tom. He did notice the coincidence but.... Chris shook his head, trying to get rid of the confusing thoughts. Tom did mention he was nothing to Ellie and Luke. Chris wondered what that meant. Was he truly just a stranger?

"So you don't know any Tom?" His gaze fleeted to the stool Tom usually sat in if he ever accepted any invitation to join for meal times.

Ellie shook her head, following his gaze towards the stool. "It's a common name but... no."

"Well then," Chris said thickly, unsure of how to go about this, "Then I must have been confused."

Narrowing her eyes with a cheeky smile hooked onto her lips, Ellie leaned forward. "Who is this helpful, mysterious Tom?"

Her teasing tone made Chris chuckle. "A friend," he answered casually before picking up the pot of coffee to fill his mug again. Just a friend.

"I'd love to meet him."

"You do?"

"You can't keep him to yourself you know! Good people have to be shared!"

"I thought only good food have to be shared!" Chris teased, cocking a brow at Ellie.

"Good people too," Ellie nodded. In truth she was much more curious to see what this Tom figure is like. Did Alex like him so much and perhaps named his imaginary friend Tom? He must have.

Little did they know, Tom had been in the kitchen and none of them had seen him sitting on his usual stool.

* * *

  
Despite his years of experience, Tom will never get used to being ignored – especially when it comes to people he has attached himself to.

He didn't see it coming of course. When he had waved to Chris, the blonde had glossed over him as if he hadn't seen him. He thought it was just a mistake. So he called Chris out, asking about his day when the woman, named Ellie, entered the kitchen as well. Realising Chris had a visitor, Tom kept himself quiet since Ellie couldn't see him. That was the 1st rule of being a friend. Never interrupt a social interaction between humans.

But today was different. Chris genuinely did not see him. Tom waved at him, even chirped about wanting coffee but got no reaction from him.

So he sat on his stool, listening to the conversation between the two. He noticed how Chris had smiled brightly to the woman and mentioned treating her to good food. He frowned at the unfamiliar twinge in his chest. He grew uneasy in his seat as the urge to make Chris stop talking to the woman became stronger.

He was about to leave the kitchen Chris mentioned his name to Ellie. His insides froze momentarily. _Is this really happening?_

Tom snorted at Chris' assumption of him being Ellie's ex and stifled a chuckle as Ellie debunked it. He didn't know why Chris insisted he was Luke's father. But then again, Chris doesn't know that imaginary friends can't procreate.

The confusion was riddled all over Chris face and Tom could tell he would probably bring this up the next time they see one another...

 _If they actually do._  That thought weighed heavily in Tom's chest. Usually when friends stop seeing them it means....

Was it selfish of him that he didn't want this friendship to end?

Perhaps he was.

* * *

  
Liam swung his legs off the bed, grunting as he went. The throbbing at the back of his neck was driving him up the wall as he plundered down the stairs.

"Chris?"

There was no answer. The house seemed deserted. At a distance, Liam could hear the squeaks of the swings and high-pitched laughter. Must be Alex and his friend, Liam thought as he made his way towards the kitchen. Perhaps caffeine could make the pounding stop.

There was a pot of coffee on the counter as he moved towards it.

“Good morning, Liam.”

That was all it took to snap the strained tight tension on Liam’s nerves. He turned sharply to the cheerful voice, his face sullen.

“You don’t look too – “

The concern was cut off without warning as Liam’s fingers grabbed a handful of Tom’s shirt, dragging him off the chair and slammed him against the wall – rattling it.

"Who are you exactly?!" Liam demanded, with voice like iron. His bloodshot eyes had made him look lunatic, almost demonic.

Tom’s cerulean hues widened at his question. “What – what do – do you mean?” he stuttered, clearly frightened. “I’m Tom. Your friend. Remember?”

“I know your fucking name,” Liam spat. His face was flushed as he breathed heavily through his nose. “Who the fuck are you? How do you know Zachary?!”

His insides froze. His entire body went numb. Tom stared at Liam with glassy eyes before the other man clamped his fingers around his neck and rose him higher. He saw Zachary yesterday! Then why didn’t he say anything? Why?!

Tom struggled against Liam’s strength. “Let me go, Liam.”

“Not until you explain to me,” he snarled back defiantly. He tightened his grasp around Tom’s neck.

“If you know Zachary very well,” Tom said steadily, willing himself to stay calm, “You should know that we don’t feel physical pain. Nor do we breathe.”

The mention of Zach and the careful reminder rendered Liam’s arms to drop to his sides. His eyes darted to Tom’s neck, seeing no finger marks on his skin. It was his turn to have his eyes widened. “Who are you?” he whispered again, barely making a sound. Horror had replaced the anger in his eyes.

What he had feared was all true. What he had mulled over last night was…. All true. Iciness had spread from the tip of his fingers and across his limbs. He was numb. This can’t be true. Once was enough. The taunting calls from his past were ringing in his ears.

_Liam you’re seeing ghosts!_

_Liam you need help._

_Maybe your house is haunted, that’s why you’re seeing things._

_Liam, there’s no one there! Stop acting crazy._

And they grew louder as each second passes by.

“I’m your friend,” Tom insisted. “I’m your friend. Chris’ and Alex’s as well. Zach is my colleague and friend too.”

“No. You’re not.” He held out a hand as if to put a considerable distance between them.

“Liam, please. Just because…”

“You’re imaginary,” Liam whispered again as he stumbled back. He felt faint all of a sudden.

“I’m your friend,” Tom insisted, this time, determined.

“Don’t come near me.” Liam desperately stumbled back, wanting to get as far away from Tom as possible.

“DON’T FUCKING COME NEAR ME!” he yelled with all his might.

And it was as if all of his strength that had kept him upright all this time had left him.

Because all Liam remembered thereafter was a dark, endless void. 


	14. Chapter 14

Of course this was not the first time Liam had fainted in front of him. But this was definitely his fault. Tom was panicking as he watched Liam crumbled to the floor – no longer menacing over him. Then his world became mute as he watched Ellie and Chris running to the kitchen’s back door having heard Liam yelling with all his might. They had scrambled towards Liam and attempted to shake him awake but it was futile.

They still can’t see him.

Tom had slid down to the floor, with his back against the wall as he continued staring. He saw the horror plastered on the children’s faces. He saw the desperation in Chris’. Ellie was at a lost as she gaped at Chris – unsure of what to do.

When Liam didn’t respond, Chris hurriedly checked for a pulse as Ellie ran out of the kitchen to find a phone and called for an ambulance, hurriedly telling the operator what had happened.

* * *

Chris had lost count how long he had sat on the uncomfortable plastic chair at the A & E. Ellie had already left him, together with the children, insisting that Alex could stay over at her house. If need be, Chris would know where to find them. He was too numb to argue and had feebly given his consent. He could barely feel Ellie brushing her lips against his cheek.

The corridor was filled with people groaning in pain, some were screaming as they went through those double doors and some were wailing. He was the only one who remained silent and grim.  _Happiness won’t last forever. It never does._ Chris shifted in his seat, feeling the back of the chair digging against his shoulder blades. Once in a while he’d check the clock, keeping track of the time.

“Kin of Mr Liam Hemsworth?”

Chris looked up, in the direction of the caller. He stood up, waving to the male nurse. “Kin of Mr Liam Hemsworth?” he repeated, looking over his horn-rimmed glasses.

“I’m his brother.”

“Your brother has Stage 4 cancer am I correct?”

Chris nodded grimly, his brows furrowing.

“He’s in critical condition, I’m afraid.”

“Is he going to be okay?” That was all Chris wanted to know – if his brother will be alright.

The nurse bit his lip, pausing for a fair bit before speaking, “We’re not sure. We’re doing all we can to help with the pain. But…. We can’t give you a definite answer now. All we can do now is to just pray for a miracle.”

“Okay.” That was all he could manage. A thousand and one thoughts ran through his mind as Chris plopped down to the chair again, not caring if he had rattled the entire bench – garnering glares from others on it. His fingertips were cold as he brought his hands to his face.

* * *

It took him quite a while to figure out where they went. Tom had sat on the floor of the kitchen helplessly, watching Chris haul his brother up to the stretcher with the paramedics.  He had never known what true fear had felt like. It had gripped him mercilessly, digging its talons deep into his skin rendering him paralysed. He must have looked like a lost child. By the time he could move his limbs, he was all alone in the house. The horror on Liam’s face as well as Chris’ kept playing again and again in front of his eyes.

Tom wandered away from the house and the farm, his feet taking him nowhere in particular. He took shelter at a playground before remembering that Chris probably needed him. But… Ellie would be there right? Surely he wasn’t needed anymore. But he was Chris’ friend. He still has an obligation towards him. What if he told Chris what really happened? That he was the one who caused Liam to faint? What would be his fate then? Would he be turned away like how Liam had turned Zachary away all those years ago?

So many questions ringing in his ears. And it was up to him to have them answered.

By the time he willed himself to find the hospital and ultimately Chris and Liam, it was nightfall. Tears had been streaming down his face the entire time he walked. He wandered around the corridors aimlessly, avoiding collisions with people who looked past him. Tom couldn’t care less in the hospital had seen him – he just needed to find Chris and Liam. He had always hated the strong antiseptic smell hospitals have. He searched in every single ward he could find, looking out for a tall blonde wearing a plaid shirt with his hair tied in a ponytail. He cried till there were no more tears left of him.

Finally he decided to enter the Intensive Care Unit ward, peeking around from the entrance before taking a step forward. A number of medical staff bustled around him with their scrubs and medical masks, muttering medical jargons as they huddled together in front of the rooms.

“Stage 4…”

“When was he diagnosed?”

“More than a year ago.”

“Records of treatments?”

“None.”

 “What’s the patient’s name again?”

“Hemsworth.”

Tom stilled at the mention of the last name. His steps increased its pace, his heart thumping against his chest. As the staff parted ways, muttering about Liam’s condition, Tom slowly approached the room.

Liam looked small and fragile in the bed. Wires and tubes were attached to his body and the machines surrounding his bed were beeping steadily, displaying his slow heartbeat, blood pressure and other things, Tom couldn’t comprehend.

Tears blurred his vision as the daunting truth started to descend upon him – he was the cause of this.

“Tom?”

The deep, cracked tone of Chris’ snapped him back to reality. Wide, frightened hues met with Chris’ swollen eyes. “Chris.” Tom shook his head, in an attempt to clear his head. He glanced at Liam. “Is he going to be okay?” He couldn’t hide the vulnerability in his hoarse tone.

Chris’ own eyes were glistened with moisture, threatening to spill if he blinked. He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Tom edged closer to him, not daring to make contact. “I wish I could help.”

Silence fell between them – allowing only the beeping from the machines keeping Liam alive to fill in the space.

_Should I tell him?_

“Alex told you?” Chris asked, finally breaking the silence.

Tom had half a mind to tell him that he had witnessed the whole thing – he had sat on the floor of the kitchen as they tried to shake him back to consciousness. He was staring at them the entire time and they couldn’t see him. And ultimately, he was the cause of it all.

Tom nodded mutely, folding his arms. It gave him a false sense of security and at this point of time, Tom would do anything to feel secure – even if it was false and temporary.

“He was sleeping in his room when Ellie came by,” Chris recounted, rubbing the back of his sore neck. “And we were at the backyard with the kids and we suddenly heard yelling from the kitchen.” All of them were startled when they heard Liam roaring lividly. Chris had squinted to see who he was screaming at but there was no one. And by the time he sees Liam crumbling down to the ground, he was already sprinting towards the house. “The doctors say he may be having hallucinations. At this stage, it’s possible and maybe….” Chris took in a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “Maybe he was having an episode – you know, like he always does.”

His lips were sealed as Chris told him of his perspective. Inside his head, there was a war waging on – should he tell or just leave it at that and blame it on “one of Liam’s episodes”? Gulping a huge lump in his throat Tom nervously glanced at Chris, then to Liam.

“Maybe,” he managed with eyes fluttering close. The moment his tongue had slipped, Tom knew he was going to regret this sooner or later. He had blatantly lied – something he has never done before. He always had a hard time comprehending why there is a need to lie and cover up the truth, but now he knew. Sometimes, lying was better. Perhaps what Chris doesn’t know, won’t hurt him. Chris still needs him. He couldn’t afford to be like Zachary all those years ago – have an unsolved case and be the pariah.

“Is he going to wake up soon?”

“I hope so.”

Tom willed himself to find the courage to stay calm. His gaze flickered to Chris. “You’re exhausted,” he remarked with brows knitting. “Go home, Chris.”

“No, I’m okay. I can stay by his side,” he insisted.

“No, you look like you’re going to faint any time soon and I don’t want that to happen,” Tom said firmly.  _I don’t want you to end up like Liam._

Chris was about to protest when Tom grabbed both sides of his jaw. “Listen to me,” he said desperately, locking their gaze. “Go home, Chris. I’ll be here. He’s in safe hands.” Tom gestured to the medical staff outside the room. “Please?”

Reluctantly, Chris agreed, nodding grimly. He went to Liam’s bedside, placing a hand on his brother’s forehead, breathing deeply as if to convince himself he could leave without regretting it thereafter.

Tom glanced away, to give them privacy.

“Hang in there, buddy,” Chris whispered. “Don’t you dare leave me when I’m gone.”

* * *

 

He could feel something different about himself. As soon as Chris left the room, Tom was left alone with his thoughts. He had since tuned out the beeping from the machines, Liam’s steady breathing through the oxygen mask.

Is this what guilt feel like? He had never felt like this before – it wasn’t his nature and Tom had decided to break it. He was forced to right? What if Chris flew into a rage when he told him the truth? He couldn’t risk that. One mistake was enough for today.

But, that’s not the only one today.

He had committed two mistakes within a space of 12 hours.

“You did what you had to.”

His heart all but leaped into his stomach.

“Ruby!”

 She smiled gently at Tom before she approached him. Tom have forgotten how Ruby seemed to glide gracefully wherever she went. “How are you, my dear?” A soft hand was placed at the top of Tom’s head as if to assess if he was having fever.

“I’m okay,” he managed hoarsely, shaking his head whilst removing Ruby’s hands.

They settled into a comfortable sentence as Ruby’s attention was turned to Liam. “He’s exhausted,” she said before turning to Tom.

“I… I didn’t mean to...”

Ruby shushed him, crouching beside Tom. “I know,” she whispered, peering into Tom’s eyes. “You have always been reasonable but I think you’ve done enough.”

“Enough?”

Ruby nodded, patting his hand. "Enough," she repeated. 

Confusion coloured his expression before panic bubbled over. “But my job isn’t done yet!” Tom squeaked. “No, no, this case can’t be unresolved, I still can finish it, I just –”

 “Tom, wake up!” Ruby raised her voice slightly. “Look what you’ve done.” She gestured towards Liam before placing her hands on Tom’s shoulders. “This is too big for you. What do you think will happen when Liam wakes up? What if he remembers what happened? You're going to convince him to not tell Chris?” Ruby sighed exasperatedly.  “He will definitely tell Chris. They're brothers. And need I remind you that Chris still thinks you’re a human being?”

Tom winced at the reminder. “Chris needs me.”

“You think I didn’t know that he stops seeing you when his friend, Ellie, comes by?” The remark was harsher than she had intended it to be. “Tom, you have to realise what that means!”

Again, Tom winced. “It was only today,” he insisted, “He could still see me! Like just now!” His face was flushed with eyes glistening. “Ruby, please don’t do this to me.”

“I’m not doing anything to you,” Ruby countered, willing herself to stay calm although she knew her patience was running out. “I’m just trying my best to help you see what you can’t. You haven’t been seeing things clearly.”

His brows knitted, “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” said Ruby impatiently. “I’ve already told you not to get emotionally attached to the family. I’ve already warned you that we are not like humans.”

A part of him wanted to protest – he wanted to tell Ruby that he had done nothing like what she has described but he knew, he would be lying.

“You may think you can control the situation. You may think if things are kept from Chris, it will be okay? Tom, you are handling adults – not children. They’re complex creatures.”

All he could hear were snippets from Ruby’s rant. Tom had long tuned out, staring at his hands and feet. “I’m not leaving them,” he said firmly. He wasn’t sure if that persistence was to convince himself or Ruby. But either way, he meant it. He wished this nagging feeling at the back of his head would stop. 

“Tom, you can’t.”

“I’m not leaving them,” he repeated. “Nothing you say or do will change my mind.”

Ruby shook her head, almost too stunned to respond. 

"Nothing," Tom repeated. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
